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NEW STANDARDS FOR ALL SYSTEMS GO PUSHING THE DRILLING P08 TAILINGS MANAGEMENT P36 FOR ADANI P64 BOUNDARIES P06-07 | SHINING A LIGHT ON WINDROWS

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martoraustralia.com.au +61 3 5940 4476 CONTENTS NEWS 04 COMMODITIES SNAPSHOT P22 RISK AND INSURANCE IN MINING 06 NEWS MINING LIFESTYLE 20 NEW LIFE FOR OLD TYRES 21 GLASS BLOWS THE MIND RISK AND INSURANCE 22 UNDERSTAND, BUILD TRUST AND EDUCATE P27 PROMINENT POSITION FEATURES 24 MINING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 27 PROMINENT HILL 32 NEW ACLAND 36 ADANI AUSTRALIA 38 ELIWANA PROJECT IN THE SPOTLIGHT P86 42 BHP SOUTH FLANK PUBLISHED BY ABN 28 112 572 433

A product of Publications & Exhibitions Australia Pty Ltd CONTACT US JOURNALISTS INDUSTRY FOCUS P (08) 6314 0301 Kathleen Southway, F (08) 9481 7322 Kate Christian 160 Beaufort Street, Perth, WA 6000. COMPANIES GEARING UP PO Box 8023, Perth BC, WA 6849 RESEARCH 45 E-mail the editor at Jason Strydom, Wayne Dyson [email protected] ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER ENGINEERING IN MINING GENERAL MANAGER Biliana Harman 52

Trevor Pickett SALES EXECUTIVES 0429 916 282 DRILLING SERVICES [email protected] Cal Christelow, Chrissy Nurthen, Donna Orton 53 EDITOR Ray Chan DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER SAFETY PRODUCTS [email protected] Matthew Pickett 57 [email protected] ACCOUNTS MANAGER Teresa Sabatino DESIGNER [email protected] Jeremy Pickett ABRASIVE BLASTING [email protected] 60 PRINTER Australian Community Media 63 4WD TRAINING The Australian Mining Review is a free publication to all mine sites and mining companies in Australia. Its value is $11 an issue. (Includes GST, postage and handling). The copyright is vested in the Proprietors of The Australian Mining Review; neither whole nor any part of this issue may be reproduced without permission. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Publications & Exhibitions Australia Pty Ltd and its staff, but are those of the respective author who accepts sole responsibility and liability for them. TECHNICAL TALK NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS: The Trade Practices Act, 1974 came into force on the 1st October 1974. All advertisers and advertising agents are directed to carefully study the provisions of the Act, which contain strict DIRECTIONAL DRILLING regulations on advertising. 64 It can be an offence for anyone to engage, in trade or commerce, in conduct deemed “misleading or deceptive”. Specifically s53 of the Act contains prohibitions from doing any of the following in connection with the promotion, by any means, of the supply or use of goods or services: LINE BORING (a) falsely represent that goods are of a particular standard, quality, value, grade, composition, 67 style or model or have had a particular history or particular previous use; (b) falsely represent that goods are new; (c) represent that goods or services have sponsorship, approval, performance characteristics, accessories, uses or benefits they do not have; (d) represent that the corporation has a sponsorship, approval or affiliation it does not have; (e) make a false or TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY misleading representation with respect to the price of goods or services; (f) make a false or 80 misleading representation concerning the need for any goods or services; or (g) make a false or misleading representation concerning the existence, exclusion or effect of any condition, warranty, guarantee, right or remedy. SAFETY IN MINING PENALTIES: 82 For an individual — $10,000 or six months imprisonment For a corporation — $50,000. It is not possible for this company to ensure that advertisements published in this newspaper comply with the Act and the responsibility must, therefore, be on the person, company or advertising agency submitting the advertising for publication. In case of IN THE SPOTLIGHT doubt, consult your lawyer. 86 4 COMMODITIES SNAPSHOT AMR SEP2020

MAJOR COMMODITIES SNAPSHOT

$US/oz $US/t GOLD IRON ORE 62% Fe CFR China 1975 130 Uncertainty continues Iron ore prices 1950 125 122.57 have hit to drive the gold price, 1948.56 with concerns about 1900 120 six-and-half year highs, as Chinese economic growth and 1954.00 115 whether central banks 1875 furnaces, where have enough 1850 110 more than half the firepower to fix the 105 108.05 world’s steel is problems, and how 1825 forged, roll out long COVID-19 1800 100 crude steel at a will last. 95 98.74 never before 1775 seen pace. 1750 1769.60 90 85 1725 2 June 2 July 1 Aug 2 June 2 July 1 Aug

$US/t $US/t COPPER LME Price COBALT LME Price

6600 34000 Copper prices rose 33045.00 Demand has been as stockpiles in the 6400 33000 good, particularly London Metal 6457.80 from Asia where Exchange (LME) 6200 6559.00 32000 demand for hybrid warehouse system batteries, catalysts fell below 100,000t 6000 31000 and machine tools for the first time 6016.65 has been robust, but since 2007, and 5800 30000 also from OECD 28750.04 the approval of a 29000 markets where coronavirus 5600 super alloys, 28500.00 treatment in the 28000 particularly in USA boosted 5400 aerospace, has equities. been strong. 5200 2 June 2 July 1 Aug 2 June 2 July 1 Aug

$US/t $US/oz ALUMINIUM LME Price COAL LME Price

Prices are The world aluminum 1800 1772.00 70 market is expected threatened by soft demand in major to slip into a deficit of 1750 60 importers India and about 100,000 - 1720.72 52.49 51.00 200,000t by 1700 50 China. The coal market is set to year-end, based on 49.60 a stronger than 1650 40 continue its expected Asian downtrend recovery and healthy 1600 1621.00 30 pressured by US and European growing natural economies, 1550 20 gas-powered according to production and 1500 analysts. 10 rising share of 2 June 2 July 1 Aug 2 June 2 July 1 Aug renewable energy generation.

$US/t $US/t LEAD LME Price NICKEL LME Price

2000 15000 Prices continue to The nickel price rise as supply-side 1976.00 1950 neared the worries, 14500 14478.00 $14,500 mark s compounded by development in mines closing 1900 coronavirus because of 14000 treatment and COVID, support 1850 13762.00 vaccines boosted the market. 1841.65 13500 market sentiment. 1800 1763.25 1750 13000 12757.50 1700 12500 2 June 2 July 1 Aug 1650 2 June 2 July 1 Aug

* Prices as at the 1st August 2020 SEP2020 AMR NEWS 5 6 NEWS AMR SEP2020 SHINING A LIGHT ON WINDROWS

Overlay of haul road product on a hillshaded DEM surface. DEM has been colourised to 25cm vertical changes. Profile lines generated by the Aerometrex Windrow Analysis Tool have been laid on the surface and colour-coded for compliance values. Here we can see passing (green) and failing (red) windrows above a high eroded drop off.

ost mine operators will agree They are established on haul roads, dumps The continuing increase in truck size, slippery roads, dust, obstructions that affect that a strong correlation exists and in proximity to highwalls where there is combined with recent powered haulage lines of sight and wildlife. between well-constructed and potential for mobile equipment to drive off accidents and incident analyses, has maintained roads and safe, an edge. warranted further development of mine To prevent an accident or reduce the Mefficient mining operations. road design guidelines. severity of its consequences, a road should Windrows are an effective guard against the be more accommodating to human error. The haul road design and subsequent road severe consequences of a runaway vehicle Several studies have shown that the major management forms a critical component and their standard design provides enough sub-standard surface mine road design The more that is known about human error of mining transport operations. One of the strength and height so that a serious factors were geometric and functional in the context of mine haulage, the better key safety features for haul roads in open accident may be avoided. design issues, with a lesser, but still a road can be designed to accommodate pit mines is windrows, also referred to as a significant, contribution from inadequate those actions that would, on a poorly safety berms or safety bunds. Well-designed and maintained haul roads structural design. designed road, invariably escalate an error are the key to reducing truck haulage on- into an accident. What Are Windrows? road hazards and costs, as well as increasing While improved mine haul road design Why Are They Critical? productivity. reduces accidents, due consideration needs Challenges and Recommendations From Windrows are typically trapezoidal to be given to human factors which are a Mine Regulators mounds used to redirect drifting vehicles However, practically designing and managing significant contributor to haulage accidents. Mine operators are required by work back towards the haul road or to absorb a haul road for optimal performance is often health and safety legislation to manage and the impact energy if any vehicle hits the difficult to achieve. Certain external factors may also affect controls risks associated with roads and windrow. vehicle control, such as fog, sunlight, other vehicle operating areas.

Overlay of haul road product on draped orthomosaic. Windrows were assessed with minimum height and width 2m and 6.5m; roads were assessed with width 35m and slope 10%. SEP2020 AMR NEWS 7

Aerometrex Windrow Analysis Tool output in an active pit of a Qld coal mine. In this example, line size has been expanded to enhance visibility.

Assessing risks helps mine operators to An industry-accepted method of analysing provides shapefiles of: Measuring and managing windrows with take the necessary action to eliminate or the height and width compliance of these LiDAR survey data analytics helps save both minimise the risk. features is by a method of placing regularly • Road segments - a newly calculated time and money and prevent mistakes and spaced elevation profiles perpendicular to adjusted centreline for the road, broken rework. In recent years however, regulators have haul road centrelines. into interval segments, with elevation identified concerns over management of and slope information for each The Aerometrex Windrow Analysis Tool risk associated with windrow construction To this end, Aerometrex has developed a segment. removes the need for manual digitisation standards, maintenance, and reliability. workflow and toolset to derive and analyse of desired features, hence saving numerous these elevation profiles and generate a • Windrow lines - contains elevated man-hours and reducing the risk of manual Some critical aspects of windrow compliance report. lines for each windrow including width, errors. management are linked to alignment, height, and compliance inspection, and training of operators The Aerometrex Windrow Analysis Tool is These improvements result in cost per unit responsible for windrow construction to designed to enhance windrow monitoring. • Road profiles - contains elevated lines produced savings and an enhanced focus necessary standards. for each road section (road edge to road on health and safety. Given only a two-dimensional road edge, exclusive of any mini windrows LiDAR and How it Can Assist in centreline and a recent LiDAR dataset, the detected), with road width information It takes the guesswork out of trying to Windrow Management? tool creates profiles at set intervals and and compliance (plus some other beta achieve operational efficiencies and LiDAR systems allow scientists and mapping scans each profile for elevation changes, information) productivity in mine windrow management. professionals to examine both natural and testing them for criteria matching windrow The tool can also be paired with external manmade environments with a high level of tops and toes. Driving efficiencies and increased point cloud data - or by incorporating it into accuracy, precision, and flexibility. productivity begins with accurate and real a regular flight, giving mine operators the Key metrics including height, width, and time measurement throughout plant and best of both worlds. AMR While traditional survey methods are known slope are calculated from these points. Each process, which can be achieved with the use to be slow and result in low resolution profile is classified using pass or fail criteria of technologically adaptable solutions. sampling, airborne LiDAR surveys can and attributed with calculated values. acquire millions of points within each square kilometre of a survey within a much The tool relies on a simple arrangement of quicker timeframe. rise-over-run analysis over perpendicular hairs to detect slope changes. This density creates a robust data set for volume calculations, geomorphology and These are then filtered further to check structural geology, design of road corridors, for potential windrow and mini-windrow slope analysis and run off surface modelling shapes. for feasibility studies and environmental impact studies. This output is taken through a quick result sampling (to check detection success) and What Does Aerometrex LiDAR Offer for reporting is run using client parameters. Windrow Management? Through discussions with mine operators, Aerometrex provides clients a full report aerial surveying company Aerometrex has that includes a brief, shapefile attribute key, identified the potential to utilise LiDAR and images. datasets to provide value added analysis of haul road characteristics such as safety Reporting for each road individually is Profile view of an ideal road structure. windrows. also included. Additionally, the company 8 NEWS AMR SEP2020 NEW STANDARDS FOR TAILINGS MANAGEMENT he International Council on Mining and Minerals (ICMM) and the United Nations (UN) have introduced a set of global standards for safe mine Ttailings management.

The Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management was developed by a multi- disciplinary expert panel, with input from a multi-stakeholder advisory group, following the tragic tailings facility collapse at Brumadinho, Brazil, in January 2019.

The review involved extensive public consultation with affected communities, government representatives, investors, multilateral organisations and mining industry stakeholders and is informed by existing best practice and findings from past tailings facility failures.

The Standard strives to achieve the ultimate goal of zero harm to people and the environment with zero tolerance for human fatality. Underpinned by an integrated approach to tailings management, it aims to prevent catastrophic failure and enhance the safety of mine tailings facilities across the globe.

It embodies a step-change in terms of transparency, accountability and safeguarding the rights of project-affected people.

Comprising six Topic areas, 15 Principles and 77 auditable Requirements, the Standard will ultimately be supported by implementation protocols that will provide detailed guidance for certification, or assurance as applicable, and for equivalence with other standards. The requirements within this Topic are Topic Area IV focuses on the ongoing Operators commit to transparency, and intended to be cross-cutting in terms of management and governance of a participate in global initiatives to create The Standard is directed at operators and being addressed across all operational tailings facility. standardised, independent, industry-wide applies to tailings facilities, both existing and activities and ongoing throughout the and publicly accessible information about to-be-built. tailings facility lifecycle. It provides for the designation and tailings facilities. assignment of responsibility to key roles It makes clear that extreme consequences Topic Area II requires operators to in tailings facility management, including Minerals Council Response to people and the environment from develop knowledge about the social, an accountable executive, an engineer of The Minerals Council of Australia says catastrophic tailings facility failures are environmental and local economic record and a responsible tailings facility the Standard will help support the safe unacceptable. context of a proposed or existing tailings engineer. management of tailings facilities around the facility: It asks for a multi-disciplinary world. Operators must have zero tolerance for knowledge base to be developed and used Further, it sets standards for critical human fatalities and strive for zero harm by the operator and key stakeholders in an systems and processes, such as the Tailings Australian companies actively contributed to people and the environment from the iterative way to enable all parties to make Management System and independent to the development of the Standard, earliest phases of project conception. informed decisions throughout the tailings reviews, which are essential to upholding which reflects Australian leading practice, facility lifecycle. the integrity of a tailings facility throughout standards and guidance. To be compliant with the Standard, its lifecycle. operators must use spe¬ci¬fied measures These decisions will arise in the context MCA chief executive Tania Constable said to prevent the catastrophic failure of tailings of the alternatives analyses, the choice of Cross-functional collaboration and the the safety and health of the country’s people facilities and to implement best practices in technologies and facility designs, emergency development of a learning organisational and communities is the minerals industry’s planning, design, construction, operation, response plans, and closure and post- culture that welcomes the identification of number one priority. maintenance, monitoring, closure and post closure plans, amongst others. problems and protects whistle-blowers are closure activities. also included. “While current tailings management Topic Area III aims to lift the performance practices in Australia are advanced and Overall, conformance is expected where bar for designing, constructing, Topic Area V covers emergency highly regulated, the industry is committed there is no conflict with the legislative operating, maintaining, monitoring, and preparedness and response in the event to continuous improvement as part of its requirements of the jurisdictions where closing tailings facilities. of a tailings facility failure. culture of safe and responsible resource tailings facilities are located. development,” she said. Operators are asked to demonstrate the Operators must avoid complacency about It is important to note that future ability to upgrade a facility at a later stage to the demands that would be placed on them “The standard and forthcoming guidance development of implementation protocols a higher consequence classification. in the event of a catastrophic failure. will be reviewed in line with the Australian would clarify expected levels of performance. minerals industry’s commitment. The Standard’s structure is logical, not For existing facilities, where upgrading is The Standard requires operators to consider chronological, and is underpinned not feasible, the operator must reduce the their own capacity in conjunction with that “The industry is supporting the development by an integrated approach to tailings consequences of a potential failure. of other parties, and to plan ahead, build of advanced tailings specific training courses, management, which was the overarching capacity and work collaboratively with which include among others the Future Tails objective of the Panel. Recognising that tailings facilities are other parties, in particular communities, to program at the University of WA, backed by dynamic engineered structures, Topic Area prepare for the unlikely case of a failure. MCA members BHP and Rio Tinto.” Topic Area I focuses on project-affected III requires the ongoing use of an updated people: In order to respect human rights, knowledge base, consideration of alternative Topic Area V also outlines the fundamental Ms Constable said these efforts will help including the individual and collective rights tailings technologies, the use of robust obligations of the Operator in the long-term ensure Australia has ongoing access to the of indigenous and tribal peoples, a human designs and well-managed construction and recovery of affected communities in the high-quality expertise needed to ensure rights due diligence process is required to operation processes to minimise the risk of event of a catastrophic failure. continued safe operation of tailings facilities identify and address those that are most failure. into the future. AMR at risk from a tailings facility or its potential Topic Area VI requires public disclosure failure. A comprehensive monitoring system must of information about tailings facilities support the full implementation of the to support public accountability, while To demonstrate this respect, project- Observational Method and a performance- protecting operators from the need affected people must be afforded based approach must be taken for the to disclose confidential commercial or opportunities for meaningful engagement design, construction and operation of financial information. in decisions that affect them. tailings facilities. The Standard concludes by requiring that groundwavedrilling.com

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Safe, DiverSe, innovative Safe,Groundwave drilling services Diver is a drilling company withS a difference.e, i nnovativeSonic Drilling applications include: We provide world class niched drilling services to our clients using • Sonic Drilling: Sonic / CPT combination Safe,Groundwave drilling services Diver is a drilling company withS a difference.e, i nnovativeSonic Drilling applications include: diverse and innovative techniques to achieve the very best results. • Tailings Investigations We provide world class niched drilling services to our clients using • Sonic Drilling: Sonic / CPT combination ANYTIME,Safe,Groundwave drilling services Diver is a drillingANYWHERE, company withS a difference.e, i nnovativeSonic • ANY WasteDrilling Rock applications PilesMETHOD include: diverseWe specialise and innovative in sonic drilling,techniques a technique to achieve which the makesvery best use results. of a • Tailings Investigations We provide world class niched drilling services to our clients using • LeachSonic Drilling:Pads Sonic / CPT combination Safe,Groundwavespecially constructed drilling services sonic Diver drilling is a drilling rig. 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We also offer tight access rotary drills. 10 NEWS AMR SEP2020 GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY

FORhe Gold Industry NETBALLERS Group and for girls and women, and as one of the Netball WA have continued to join core objectives of the sport’s landmark forces on providing exceptional partnership with the Gold Industry Group. educational pathways for women, Twith applications now open for the next “The Netball WA Sports Excellence round of the 2020 scholarship to assist Scholarship in Netball provides an student netballers in the pursuit of a career opportunity for netballers in our State with in Australia’s gold mining industry. an interest in gold mining to pursue further The scholarship provides an opportunity for educational opportunities,” he said. netballers in WA with an interest in gold mining The ‘Netball WA Sports Excellence to pursue further educational opportunities. IMAGE: Gold Industry Group Scholarship in Netball’ at the University of “As part of our vision of advancing WA has been made possible through the communities, we are proud to be able to Gold Industry Group’s ongoing support of create an opportunity that promotes a “We see the range of benefits that a Applications close Saturday, October 31, Netball WA as Principal Partner. pathway for women into education, and commitment to sport brings to health, 2020. Submissions can be entered via the ultimately into leadership roles within their wellbeing and performance, so we are website. The scholarship will financially assist respective communities. delighted to provide this opportunity for our and encourage high-performing student future industry leaders.” To be eligible to apply for the scholarship, an athletes in netball, with an interest in a “We thank the Gold Industry Group and the applicant must: career in the gold industry, to undertake University of Western Australia for making The education initiative comes following the • demonstrate an interest in gold an undergraduate qualification at UWA this possible.” launch of the Gold Industry Group’s Gold mining and in a career in the gold covering a diverse range of roles in the gold Jobs website in May and its National Gold mining industry; industry. Gold Industry Group Vice-Chair Kelly Carter Education Program in February. • be registered and an active member of is thrilled to join with Netball WA and UWA a Netball WA affiliate club; The selection process for the annual in supporting a new pathway for future Australia’s gold industry offers a wide • be a commencing student; scholarship is based upon academic leaders in Australia’s gold sector. range of employment opportunities • qualify for the UWA Student Athlete achievement and athletic performance, with across fields including technology, Development Program as at least a tier the best applicant demonstrating a keen “Australia’s gold industry offers a diverse innovation, engineering, geology, three athlete for the sport of netball; pursuit in the gold sector. range of career pathways and we are exploration, manufacturing, transport, • be enrolled, or eligible to enrol in delighted to partner with Netball WA and operations, health and safety, environment, an undergraduate degree course at Netball WA CEO Simon Taylor said the UWA to assist students to pursue both their sustainability, community, tourism, finance, the University. initiative is another example of the sport’s higher education and on-court goals,” he craftsmanship, management and more. AMR commitment to creating opportunities said. MINING WOMEN GET ON BOARD

Nima Sherpa. Katie Serjeantson.

he Minerals Council of Australia The scholarship winners were: skills gained through the scholarship to mining company boards. recently awarded three scholarships participate as a younger board member to women working in Australia’s Katie Serjeantson, currently and use the opportunity to inspire broader The Company Directors Course provides world-leading minerals industry to Superintendent Drill and Blast at Rio Tinto diversity and inclusion in the industry. Ms participants with a comprehensive Thelp them secure company board positions. Iron Ore’s Hope Downs 1 Operations in Sherpa is also currently pursuing a PhD in understanding of the major challenges WA. Outer Space Resources. facing company directors in today’s business Valued at $12,000 each, the scholarships environment, as well as equipping them were awarded to enable the recipients to As a technical leader and committed Bernadette Harris, currently Principal with the skills and knowledge necessary complete the world-class Australian Institute STEM ambassador, she hopes to use the Indigenous Development at Rio Tinto. to effectively undertake the duties of a of Company Directors (AICD) Company scholarship to demonstrate the capability company director. Directors’ Course. of diverse leadership in improving diversity With more than 20 years’ experience in and inclusion outcomes for the industry. mining, she hopes to use her scholarship to The 2020 scholarships continue the success After considering a strong field of mentor and encourage Indigenous people of a program which has seen 20 women applications, the MCA expanded the Nima Sherpa, currently Principal Global to take on leadership and board positions in complete the Company Directors’ Course scholarships awarded from two to three Technology Strategy at BHP and is based community organisations. since 2013. AMR in recognition of the depth and breadth of in Adelaide. female talent in the minerals sector. The scholarships are an MCA initiative to She hopes to gain the knowledge and encourage more female participation on TAKING UPA: Setting new standards RELIABILITY in dewatering

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COREdvanced Australian LITHIUM lithium Gunner said the proposed financial developer Core Lithium is pleased commitment will bring new industry and to announce a conditional loan jobs to the Territory. offer from the NT Government’s LocalA Jobs Fund (LJF) worth $5m. “To ensure the Territory rebounds strongly from COVID-19, the Northern Territory The low-cost business investment government is investing in projects that will concessional loan will contribute to lower help our economy grow and create jobs for start-up capital costs and overall costs for Territorians,” he said. Core, which aims to begin construction on its mine production facilities at its Finniss “The Territory Government has provided Lithium Project later this year. Core Lithium a non-binding term sheet for a $5m Business Investment Concessional The offer of a non-binding finance facility Loan through the Local Jobs Fund, subject to Core aims to begin construction on its mine term sheet by the NT Government follows due diligence. production facilities at its Finniss Lithium Project later this year. an assessment by the LJF investment committee and is in recognition of the “We are making the Territory Australia’s significant employment opportunities – comeback capital, and this job-creating “The Northern Territory Government’s for 75,000 tpa and a non-binding MOU more than 250 jobs – and the accompanying project can be a key part of that.” proposed financial commitment is a with Geneva-based Transamine for a socio-economic benefits and enterprise recognition of the value of the near further 50,000 tpa, which in total represent opportunities the project will bring to the Core’s managing director, Stephen Biggins, development-ready Finniss Lithium Project approximately 70% of Project offtake. region. said the support of the NT Government and its contribution to reducing global demonstrates further confidence in the emissions and rebound in economic growth As it moves forward, Core will work with the The 36-month facility is subject to agreement robust long-term financial returns to be in the Territory.” LJF to finalise documentation and satisfy of final terms and customary conditions, generated by the Finniss project. customary conditions precedent alongside which include binding offtake agreements Core is continuing to engage with debt a commercial project financier. for at least 50% of production, evidence “We are delighted to have the support of and equity capital markets in finalising the of the balance of financial funding being the Northern Territory Government in the balance of the Finniss Lithium Project’s Any formal offer of finance remains subject secured and the announcement of Core’s offer of a concessional finance facility, which capital funding requirements. to the final recommendation of the LJF Final Investment Decision. contributes to the transition from developer investment committee and the approval to miner,” he said. Regarding product offtake, it already has processes of the Northern Territory Northern Territory chief minister Michael a binding agreement with China’s Yahua Government and Core Lithium board. AMR STRANDLINE PREPARES

TOtrandline MOVE Resources has taken EARTH another important step towards development of its Coburn mineral sands project in WA, by appointing SMacmahon as the principal contractor to provide site-wide civil and bulk earthworks construction services.

The scope includes construction of a 43km bitumen sealed access road connecting the mine with the North West Coastal Highway, installation of other site roads, bulk earthworks pads, dams and drainage associated with the mine and process infrastructure. The existing site access road and surrounding landscaping at Coburn. The contract is a key early works package to establish access and construction pads Macmahon’s experience in civil and bulk be awarded as part of project financing in owned development assets located in WA, across the various project areas, including earthworks construction and bulk material preparation for construction and financial and within the world’s major zircon and the accommodation village, processing mining means it is well credentialled to meet close,” he said. titanium producing corridor in East Africa. facilities, power station, bore fields and site Coburn’s early development requirements. offices and buildings (amongst other areas). “We are pleased to further our relationship The company’s strategy is to develop and The execution plan incorporates the use of with Macmahon and look forward to operate high margin, expandable mining The parties have agreed final contract local procurement initiatives and specialist delivering the construction works safely, on assets with market differentiation and documentation with special provisions sub-contractors to support the construction time and budget. global relevance. relating to schedule, cost, safety and works, as well as aligning strongly with environment, quality, local content and Strandline’s approach to health, safety and “Coburn has a world-scale Ore Reserve, Strandline’s project portfolio includes two indigenous engagement. environmental and indigenous engagement. situated in a Tier-1 location, we have binding zircon-titanium rich, ‘development ready’ offtake agreements in place with major projects, being the Coburn Project and The agreement is subject to conditions Strandline Managing Director Luke Graham customers, reputable contractors on board the Fungoni Project in central Tanzania, precedent regarding the development said the contract marked another key step and project funding activities progressing as well as a series of titanium-dominated of the project and Strandline releasing a towards the start of construction at Coburn. rapidly.” exploration projects spread along the highly formal notice to proceed to commence the prospective Tanzanian coastline, including works under contract. “This commercial milestone is the first of Strandline is an emerging heavy mineral the advanced and large scale Tajiri Project. a series of material project contracts to sands developer with a portfolio of 100%- AMR SEP2020 AMR NEWS 13

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PLANTineral processing INSPECTIONSexperts “The most important aspect of this is from the Sustainable Minerals establishing a safe mobile link that is in line Institute’s (SMI) Julius Kruttschnitt with the site’s safety requirements. Mineral Research Centre (JKMRC) Mhave embraced 21st century technology to “All remote viewing equipment allowed for maintain site engagement and delivery of hands-free operation and was protected research outcomes to mineral processing against dust and water exposure.” plants amid COVID-19 restrictions. Ms Verster said the team opted to mount a Surveying, diagnosing and identifying smartphone on a hard hat or, alternatively improvement opportunities for processing a chest harness, that allowed site personnel plants generally requires teams to travel to freely move around the plant while to a mine site, often in remote locations, continuously streaming audio-visual data, and undertake hands-on testing alongside and allowing for two-way communication. mine personnel − a difficult feat considering ongoing travel and distancing restrictions. “We are definitely pursuing this method going forward as it allows for the effective Faced with these challenges, JKMRC remote coordination of site work,” she said. experts have developed a remote survey coordination method which allows them to “It also provides greater flexibility of survey engage with site personnel and facilitate the timing which means one can make better same procedures through the use of video use of operational windows for successful streaming. survey execution that doesn’t have to be pre-determined weeks in advance. Tech-based solutions allow experts to continue JKMRC senior research fellow and process plant inspections amid travel restrictions. performance specialist Lizette Verster said “The key to success is communication the novel approach offered a flexible, robust and lots of upfront planning and we are and practical alternative to the conventional fortunate to have a close relationship with method. Glencore and are working with them on a number of projects.” “Usually when one conducts a survey like this, it would involve a team of researchers Glencore’s Mount Isa Mines senior process travelling to a site, staying there for a engineer Roxanne O’Donnell was suitably minimum of a week, and working closely impressed with the ease in using video with site personnel,” she said. streaming to enable the remote testing.

“In this case, rather than us having a “This approach minimised the need for representative attend the site who people to come onsite, and proved very coordinates the work, Glencore nominated effective in streamlining the analysis of our an on-site representative who took mineral processing operations,” she said. responsibility and worked with us to ensure they had the information required to “At Glencore, we recognise that collaboration perform the survey. is the key to unlocking innovations and improvement opportunities and we were “We set up a video link between Glencore’s really pleased to work with the team at Mount Isa Mines copper processing team as the Sustainable Minerals Institute’s Julius well as the metallurgical laboratory so we Kruttschnitt Mineral Research Centre.” AMR could observe and direct the test work as it was being performed.

TITANIUMustralian Strategic Materials (ASM) including TRIAL neodymium, praseodymium, PASSES TEST partner ZironTech has successfully other rare earth metals, zirconium and produced another run of titanium hafnium metal metal alloy at the joint venture (JV) commercialA pilot plant in South Korea. ASM managing director David Woodall said progress towards an independent fully The run produced about 22kg and confirmed integrated ’mine to metal‘ business of critical energy savings of up to 50% compared to materials was continuing well. current commercial production methods. “ASM’s focus is to be a stable, secure and ASM is successfully progressing the pilot alternate supplier of clean metals for the plant testwork on low emission, high purity domestic and global markets with the metal technology to produce zirconium, production of these metals coming from titanium and rare earths for permanent our Dubbo Project in Central West NSW,” he magnet metals. said.

The production of metals indicates “The clean metal technology can be applied significant cost benefits to ASM’s integrated to all the products from the Dubbo Project business strategy and is key in the with our focus on the key critical materials development of the Dubbo Project to supply of neodymium, dysprosium, zirconium, critical materials. hafnium and praseodymium.” AMR

The commissioning of the electrorefining ASM is successfully progressing the pilot plant section of the pilot plant is proceeding, testwork on low emission, high purity metal which will produce ultra-high purity metal, technology to produce zirconium and other metals. SEP2020 AMR NEWS 15 IMPACT ROLLER

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BYeir 100,000TMinerals Australia has signed a landmark agreement with ENGIE Australia and New Zealand to source renewable Wenergy for its operations in New South Wales and Queensland.

The deal will deliver significant carbon reductions in line with the Weir Group’s sustainability roadmap goals, while locking in energy supply and price stability. The Parkes solar farm is one source of the The renewable energy from Weir Minerals’ clean, renewable energy ENGIE supplies to Weir Minerals Australia. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) represents a reduction of more than 100,000t of carbon emissions (CO2e) over the lifetime of the five-year agreement.

The PPA is one of the first of its kind between a renewable energy provider and a major supplier to the Australian resources sector. Weir is targeting a 50% reduction in CO2e emissions by 2030 and achieving zero by 2050 across the globe.

Beyond the carbon reduction, the PPA will also provide Weir Minerals with security of supply, price stability and significant cost savings within an often-volatile energy market.

The agreement introduces several innovations to the electricity supply sector in Australia, including integration of energy generation and supply components in the Weir Minerals’ manufacturing facility in same agreement. Artarmon, NSW, has the total footprint of 35,000m2 (8.65 acres, 3.5 hectares), housing This simplified model means that Weir an elastomer shop, machine shop, pump can spend less time managing complex assembly and the largest ferrous foundry in the Southern hemisphere. agreements and cashflows and more time focussing on core business. “Through our agreement with ENGIE, we sustainable renewable PPAs, supporting market to design solutions for customers Weir Minerals Australia environmental are able to increase our use of renewable Australian businesses to meet their overall transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy. engineer Jazib Farid said the company’s clear energy: a key factor in building a more carbon reduction goals. focus on making mining more sustainable sustainable business,” he said. “For the Australian mining sector specifically, and efficient included leading by example ENGIE ANZ energy management executive renewable PPAs offer price and stability and reducing the footprint of our own The agreement with Weir Minerals Australia general manager Andrew Hyland said benefits which can underpin and enable operations. underlines ENGIE’s position as the leading ENGIE was in a unique position to utilise investments and the greening of supply provider of innovative, cost-effective and its understanding of the wholesale energy chains,” he said. AMR DIGITAL FORMAT

FORhis year’s International IMARC Mining and meetings and a virtual expo hall showcasing Resources Conference (IMARC) has the latest mining projects, technology and been postponed due to COVID-19. innovations. Newcrest’s Michael Nossal speaking at last year’s IMARC. TThe conference will now be run as an online Attendees will be able to create their own event, starting on November 24. personalised program of content, meetings and networking events based on their before,” she said. “Austmine welcomes and supports the The IMARC ideals remain the same: to interests, both within longer opening hours decision to move IMARC online in 2020,” she serve as a global platform for the industry’s and on demand. According to Australasian Institute of Mining said. leaders to come together and discuss topics and Metallurgy (AusIMM) chief executive that shape the future of the mining industry, IMARC managing director Anita Richards Stephen Durkin, coming together is “more “Now more than ever it is important to integral to reshaping the global economy in said a bonus of IMARC Online was that it important than ever” in a time of uncertainty. unite as an industry, which is why Austmine the aftermath of COVID-19. would make the event “truly international”. is pleased to be offering networking and Austmine chief executive Christine Gibbs connection opportunities for mining and The interactive program includes all the “As geographical boundaries and travel time Stewart said the health and safety of mining equipment, technology and services components that attendees would expect are no longer constraints for our attendees, exhibitors and delegates was of utmost (METS) companies at IMARC online.” AMR of previous events, such as workshops, we expect that IMARC Online will welcome importance. keynote presentations, networking, more international attendees than ever SEP2020 AMR NEWS 17 LOCKOUT TAGOUT

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60amily-owned YEARS business DCL “As weIN look back BUSINESSon our 60 years in doubles as a gearbox rebuild specialty among them Wikov Industries, a European Engineering recently celebrated its business, we feel privileged to have served centre and its facility in Cameron Park, gearbox manufacturer with more than 100 60-year business milestone: a proud the mining industry in this time, delivering Newcastle specialises in site services for the years’ experience of producing gears and moment for its founder’s sons Greg trusted and respected mechanical repair mining sector in the Hunter region. mechanical gearboxes. Fand Mark Green. and engineering services across NSW.” “At DCL, we’re all about developing solutions DCL is also the NSW sales and service Founded in 1960 by Bill Green, DCL is now The company currently operates from to improve your production equipment,” agents for Sibre Australia, which offers a a third-generation business led by Greg and three locations in NSW, with the first said; Power Transmission Manager Robert range of failsafe disc brakes, calliper brakes, Mark, working with their sons Ben, James being its head office in Western Sydney: Steele-Davidson. He said the business industrial drum brakes, storm brakes, high- and Aaron. Fairfield East, which includes state-of-the- employed gearbox engineers with decades speed disc and drum couplings and EMG art CNC machinery, a fabrication facility, an of practical experience, so it had the solution electro hydraulic thrusters. “It’s a family affair, we’re all delighted to work extensive service and repair capability, and to customers’ problem every time. under the same roof, and we’re pleased to surface engineering division. More information on DCL and its offerings say we’re 100 per cent indigenous-owned,” In recent years, DCL has taken on a can be found at www.dcleng.com.au Greg and Mark said. Its mechanical repair facility in Port Kembla number of agencies for Global OEMs, AMR AUTONOMOUS MINING TRUCK

INSPECTIONSitcrew AI is a new system leveraging IMC director Tim Snell said the problem has FLIR thermal imaging and AI been known on large mining and quarry technology to change the way sites, but for many years there hadn’t been trucking and mining vehicles are a good solution for it. Pinspected. The most common problem plaguing haul Using an AI algorithm trained on a library truck tires is separation, a condition where of thermal images, the system can spot the tire tread delaminates from the casing. Hotspots on tires detected with thermal imaging. problems in their early stages, before equipment is destroyed or vehicles cause The problem is further exacerbated by the deadly accidents on the road. adoption of more autonomous haul trucks whereas a visual inspection for delamination “The first time we ran the system live on a — separations can be caused by running requires the tire to be washed off in order to site we started getting alerts out of it straight The system is built by Industrial Monitoring over rocks, which drivers might avoid but detect traces of a puncture in the top layer away, it had actually done everything it was & Control (IMC), which developed the which autonomous vehicles would run right of the tire. supposed to,” Mr Snell said. system to automate inspections of mining over. truck tires. Mining haul trucks are no small “It can be detected if you were doing a Of course, behind that success was a decade investment — each truck tire can cost as IMC had known for a while that separations detailed visual inspection,” Mr Snell said. of legacy coding work done by IMC, which much as $50,000 to replace, and if a tire could be detected with thermal imagers, and has been distributing and integrating FLIR catches fire it may burn down the whole hand-held thermal cameras are commonly “But in reality, for getting the inspections cameras like the A615 for about 10 years. $5m vehicle. used at inspection bays. done in real time without downtime, this is the only effective technology that I’m aware The automated solution can be used to Worryingly, tire fires are not an uncommon With a thermal camera, inspectors can of.” check hundreds of vehicles a day at a mining issue, and there have been multiple cases detect hotspots caused by the separated site or an offramp. Mr Snell is hopeful that of entire trucks catching fire in Australia materials of the tire rubbing against each When it came to automating inspections, Pitcrew will become a widespread solution. just in the last year. These numbers do not other and creating friction. IMC decided to use a FLIR A615 Thermal even factor in the enormous costs of mine Machine Vision camera and trained an To learn more information, please contact downtime and lost production. Hotspots show up even if tires are caked in AI model to identify the early stages of 1300 729 987 or visit www.flir.com.au mud — the usual case with mining trucks — separation as they appeared in thermal. AMR THE STORED ENERGY MOTOR BASE EXPERTS A rubber torsional spring is the heart of any stored energy motor base. The spring provides a constant force that compensates for the stretch and wear of the belt. The mechanical design allows for quick belt fitting, and replacement with a single screw. Increase safety and minimise personal injury.

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NEWp to 30 new jobs LIFEwill be created in FOR OLD TYRES the Bowen Basin as a result of a new partnership between BHP and Novum Energy to recycle mining Utruck tyres for the first time in Australia.

Used earthmoving tyres from all seven BMA and BMC sites in Queensland will be supplied to Novum who will convert the tyres into heavy and light oils, carbon black, syngas and steel at a processing plant being built in Nebo in the Isaac region.

BMA Asset President James Palmer said recycling the tyres would create new jobs for the community, increase sustainability and reduce emissions at BHP’s Queensland operations.

“We are constantly looking for ways to increase the sustainability of our operations, another example of the mining industry in reduce emissions and contribute to regional Central Queensland leading the way,” Ms communities, and this new BHP-led initiative Muller said. does just that,” said Mr Palmer. Novum Energy Australia managing director “New technology means rather than storing Rowan Kendall said work was underway on a old tyres, which weigh around 4.9 tonnes processing plant that would employ up to 30 each, they can be now be recycled and full-time employees once fully operational. turned into new products. “Our target is to process 19,000t of “This helps us create a circular economy in rubber per annum, which will produce the region by re-purposing waste locally and approximately 9m litres of fuel oil, 4500t of creating activity in the region.” recycled carbon black, 2500t of waste steel and excess syngas for electricity generation,” BMC Asset President Elsabe Muller said BHP he said. will start by supplying 2000 tyres annually to Novum. “This is an effective way to ensure used Recycling the tyres would create new jobs for the tyres are being reclaimed in a safe and community, increase sustainability and reduce emissions at BHP’s Queensland operations. “This is a first for BHP in Australia, and is sustainable manner.” AMR FAMILY, SAFETY

COREamily and safety are VALUESat the heart of Fortescue Metals Group’s values and culture.

FDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, the company has had to make difficult decisions, including a temporary change to its roster to contain the spread of the virus and ensure team members were provided with secure employment.

To assist some of its interstate employees, FMG offered to temporarily relocate their families to allow them to remain together and be supported during these uncertain times.

South Australian Dean Habets is a Signals Supervisor and made the decision to relocate his family to Port Hedland in WA.

Dean started his career as an electrician working in construction, before moving into rail construction and working on projects in Dean Habets and his family. Victoria, NSW and WA.

He has been a part of the Fortescue team for some gifts for him and also held a little everyone has been so helpful in my family’s slowly adapting to the change,” Dean said. since September 2017 and it has been quite birthday party in our hotel room,” Dean said. relocation.” a journey for his wife Belinda and three “Working at Fortescue is like being part children – Baily, Sacha and Joshua – who had “Over the Easter weekend, we also organised The weather has been a real eye-opener for of a family, and I am so thankful that the to get creative while they were in isolation in an Easter hunt for the kids and the staff my family, as they’ve discovered the hot and company has allowed me to relocate my a hotel room for 14 days. at the hotel helped to organise an Easter humid conditions of the Pilbara. wife and children so that we can remain drawing competition for the kids. together through these challenging times.” “It was my youngest son’s birthday while we “But it has been a good experience for all to AMR were in isolation, so we did an online shop “We finally flew to Port Hedland in April and see what I do for work and the family are SEP2020 AMR MINING LIFESTYLE 21

GLASShen Adelaide glass blower BLOWING Karen THE MIND Cunningham made art using Wdiamond and glass, she had no idea it would inspire a new kind of hybrid material.

Now a consortium of scientists, including from RMIT University and University of Adelaide, are using the technology to make a new class of quantum sensors.

The study, published in APL Materials, reveals how high-performance diamond sensors can be made using conventional glass fibres. Optic vessels made of glass and diamond by artist Karen Cunningham. Image: Michael Haines Photography By embedding micron-scale diamond particles within the cross section of a silicate glass fibre, the team has demonstrated the use of a robust fibre material capable of sensing magnetic fields.

Study lead author and RMIT School of Science’s Dr Dongbi Bai said it was an Three glass rings by artist exciting achievement that opened the Karen Cunningham. The door to many applications in underwater coloured light reveals the monitoring, mining and beyond. internal line of the diamond “This allows us to make cheap quantum used in the artwork. sensor networks that are able to monitor Image: Michael Haines Photography changes in magnetic field, with many useful applications and the answers to questions we haven’t thought of yet,” she said.

Diamond is one of the front runner technologies for quantum magnetic field sensing, with applications as diverse as called ‘soft glasses’, but these glasses are smaller than the width of a human hair. “It always takes hard work to go from the brain scanning, navigation and mineral non-standard and not as good at guiding idea to the product, but I’m so excited by exploration. light as conventional silica fibres, such as “For most of our work, these diamonds what we’ve achieved, and even more excited those used in the National Broadband are just too big, so we use them mainly for by where this new quantum sensor can take But diamond particles need to be viewed Network. testing,” he said. us,” she said. through high-end microscopes that aren’t suited for use over an extended period or From Art to Science Incredibly, the diamonds survived Karen’s The study, ‘Fluorescent diamond in the field. This is where glass artist Karen Cunningham glass blowing, and were part of her exhibition microparticle doped glass fiber for magnetic comes into the picture. She was making at JamFactory in Adelaide, in 2017. field sensing’, is published in APL Materials University of Adelaide Deputy Director of art using nanoparticles to show how light (DOI:10.1063/5.0013473) and was funded the Institute for Photonics and Advanced moves through glass and was fascinated by “For us, it was the lightbulb moment and by the Australian Research Council and the Sensing, Heike Ebendorff-Heidepriem, said the diamonds that were used by Heike and we knew we could make diamond sensors Defence Science and Technology Group the team had been working to get around her colleagues in her research. in more conventional glass fibres,” Ms through the Next Generation Technology this issue for a decade. Ebendorff-Heidepriem said. Fund. RMIT School of Science Professor Brant “But because diamond burns at high Gibson said Karen was given some of the The school’s Dr Dongbi Bai said to go The consortium included scientists from temperatures, we’ve been limited in the larger diamonds to see how they worked. from Karen’s art to prototype sensors RMIT University, University of Adelaide, glasses that we can use,” she added. took another three years of testing and University of Melbourne, University of South The diamonds he gave Karen were around fabrication. Australia and the Defence Science and The team has learnt a lot from these so- one micron in diameter, which is 50 times Technology Group. AMR

NEWurtin University, PROFESSOR in partnership academic credentials OF and AUTOMATIONa passion for with Fortescue Metals Group, has ensuring that new technologies deliver a appointed Dr Robert Solomon as its sustainable industry future,” he said. first Professor of Practice in Mining CAutomation and Data Analysis at the WA “His appointment will see us better able to School of Mines in Kalgoorlie. deliver both content and teaching in mining automation and data analytics. In his current role as Operations Improvement Manager at FMG, Dr Solomon “The school’s mining and mining engineering leads a team looking into the operational disciplines are already among the world’s efficiency of the company’s autonomous very best (ranking 2nd in the world by mining operations using data sets and subject) and we are confident Dr Solomon’s advanced analytics. input as Professor of Practice will see us continue to be global leaders in those fields.” Dr Robert Solomon. In his new position, Dr Solomon will lead and implement research initiatives; Fortescue Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth foster industry collaborations; shape Gaines said the company has a proud history are ready to challenge the status quo and and will bring those insights to our undergraduate curriculum; and encourage of embracing technology and innovation help guarantee the long-term success of our students to produce world-class data savvy the expansion of conceptual and practical which has been fundamental to driving industry,” Ms Gaines said. engineers,” Ms Shugg said. boundaries of applied data science in the sustained productivity, cost savings and minerals industry. Curtin University Vice- improvements in safety across the business. Curtin’s WASM Director Sabina Shugg said “As Professor of Practice, Dr Solomon will Chancellor Professor John Cordery said the University was delighted to welcome Dr also play a critical role in producing and the position will be integral to embedding “The Australian resources sector is already Solomon to the role. supervising research that can be directly WASM’s new future-focused curriculum. among the most innovative in the world applied to the future sustainability of the and through this partnership with Curtin “Dr Solomon has worked extensively in resources sector and workforces in WA and “Dr Solomon brings a wealth of practical University, we look forward to building a the digital and automation space to drive beyond.” AMR experience in operations, impressive pipeline of career-ready graduates who productivity and operational improvement 22 RISK AND INSURANCE AMR SEP2020

Connect Business Insurance covers a range of UNDERSTAND, BUILD TRUST AND EDUCATE mining and civil professions. ining operations can be complex covered by Connect Business Insurance will cover work on mine sites, but not if the • Costs associated with fixing substandard and involved, and insurance and include: work relates to the mining activities. workmanship risk management programs need • Civil Contractors • Costs incurred while using a registered to be extremely effective to help • Drilling Contractors So electrical work in the accommodation motor vehicle Mboth reduce the cost of the risk, and satisfy • Mineral Exploration Contractors areas may be covered, but electrical work the myriad of regulatory requirements • Mine Site and Camp Construction on the mining equipment may not. Professional Indemnity Insurance needed these days. Contractors There is always a certain level of risk • Surveying Contractors It’s important to tell the broker exactly what associated with any mining project, and For contractors working within the mining • Crushing and Screening Contractors tasks are being done so the appropriate if that risk is not managed carefully, the industry, ensuring adequate insurance • Quarry and Mining Contractors level of cover can be provided. effects could be disastrous. coverage for their businesses and services • Project Managers and Consultants is an essential consideration. Connect Business Insurance’s individually Some mining companies have even Public Liability Insurance tailored public liability policies made professional indemnity insurance a The types of cover needed depends on the The most commonly required form of comprehensively cover the risk contractors requirement for all contractors. type of work being undertaken. miner’s insurance is public liability. face for anyone injured on site, or any third party damage caused during or at work. Most contracting work is carried out in the Contractors essentially providing their own This is triggered in the event that the mining industry by professionals offering labour only will probably find public liability insured contractor causes property damage Product Liability Insurance specialised services and advice. is the main requirement. or personal injury to a third party. Indeed, This type of insurance protects businesses public liability is often mandatory when and companies if a product they design, Consultants may provide mining companies If a contractor is providing advice in a entering a mine site as a contractor. manufacture, or supply harms a consumer. with valuable information that is used to professional capacity, the business might plan and successfully carry out all types of find that professional indemnity is required. But be careful. While many insurers offer Product liability cover is highly mining operations. And larger businesses, perhaps with public liability, they may exclude any type of recommended for businesses in all phases multiple staff and equipment on site, may mining work. of the supply chain because regardless of However, working as professional require a range of other covers. their specific role in a product, there isa consultants comes with a certain level of In fact, most insurance policies, even those chance they could face a lawsuit. responsibility. If they were to accidentally If you’re looking for a broker who is through insurance brokers, will have a make a mistake or withhold relevant specialised in all facets of insurance, look no blanket exclusion for any work on a mine While it may seem unfair, those who sell information, then they are liable to be sued further than Connect Business Insurance, site or related to mining. products shoulder some responsibility for for negligence. the expert in supplying insurance to the the content and performance of the goods. mining industry, while also assisting mining So contractors may need a specialist If found to be at fault, they could be ordered companies to optimise their risk-taking and insurance policy that doesn’t cover just The Australian Competition and Consumer to pay substantial compensation claims to risk management activities. mining, but the specific type of work being Commission (ACCC) works to assist with the all wronged parties. carried out on the mine sites. overall safety of products. The range of mining and civil professions For example, some public liability policies Furthermore, even if not at fault, consultants What Can Product and Public Liability may be required to pay significant legal fees Insurance Cover? to defend their reputation.

All policies are unique to the insured’s Without professional indemnity insurance, needs. consultants – if charged – would be required to cover all of these costs from their own Generally, product and public liability pocket, which could lead to not just loss of insurance policies will cover: the business, but potentially the home and • Investigation costs other personal assets. • Settlement fees • Awarded damages A typical professional indemnity insurance • Personal injury policy will cover any monetary loss that • Property damage results from the actions, omissions or • Injuries that occur because of advertising mistakes of the insured party. • Generally, what is not covered include: • Employee claims This could include an employee who Contractors bringing their own plant and • Asbestos related claims acts dishonestly without the employer’s equipment onto the mine site will need to have • Cost related to damage of your own knowledge, the accidental release of adequate insurance in place to protect it. product sensitive information, unintentional SEP2020 AMR RISK AND INSURANCE 23 violations of a third party’s intellectual but it’s definitely worth letting them know to Contractors or sub-contractors generally focused and motivated by a genuine concern property, or acting without due care while be safe. won’t be covered by sick leave or workers for both employees and policyholders. providing a paid service. compensation insurance. Income protection The business makes sure cover is sufficient When it comes to plant and equipment, insurance can cover a large percentage of to meet the unforeseen events that occur at Before taking out a professional indemnity Connect Business Insurance can find the income for a period of time if the contractor businesses and work sites. insurance policy, it’s useful to consider the right cover quickly, easily, and at the most is unable to work due to injury or illness. following three important points: affordable price. The company’s team are Because Connect Business Insurance experts in the areas of material damage Income protection can be a little more associates understand the ins and outs The amount of cover: this will vary and road risk, as well as public liability and expensive for anyone working on a mine of the insurance industry, they can also depending on the size of the business, along business interruption. site, especially if working underground, suggest different types of insurance cover with several other key factors. To ensure because it reflects the increased risk of businesses may not know they need. sufficient protection, it’s a good idea to They also offer a diverse range of services, injury on such sites. talk to an insurance expert with plenty of including standalone items and large mobile Its mission is to provide financial protection experience in the mining industry. machinery and equipment fleets. The In Summary and peace of mind for its customers, tailored insurance packages are flexible, Connect Business Insurance has the offering a quality approach by helping The size of the project: when considering covering everything from a one owner- expertise needed to determine all insurance clients manage their risks, and leaving them insurance, it’s best to consider worst-case operated plant to a large plant fleet. needs as well as the experience to get more time to focus on their business. scenarios. So, think about the largest project the needs met. The company combines and make sure the insurance is substantial Protection is offered in many areas, excellent customer service with expert local Contact Paul Cohalan at Connect enough to cover negligence claims arising including accessories and tools; the removal underwriting, and all claims are handled Business Insurance on: from that project. and recovery of plan (damaged or not); and fairly and fast. Phone: 1300 477 662 disposing of rubble and debris. Email: [email protected] The impact of inflation: if ordered to make Connect Business Insurance is people- AMR compensation for financial loss, then the Motor Vehicle Insurance amount will typically be adjusted to account People interested in finding work on a mine for inflation. For example, a loss valued at site should ensure they have adequate only $50,000 10 years ago would have much motor vehicle insurance. Vehicles often play more added to it currently when the average an essential role in contractors’ ability to run rate of inflation is factored in. a business at the mines.

Connect Business Insurance offers a range But many standard motor vehicle insurance of policies which cover all scenarios and policies contain exclusions relating to work requirements of mine sites. carried out on a mining site.

Plant and Equipment Insurance Reading the fine print is important – being Contractors bringing their own plant and fully aware of the exclusions and limitations equipment onto the mine site will need to attached to a policy could save money in the have adequate insurance in place to protect event that the motor vehicle is damaged, it. or accidentally causes damage, while on a mine site. Whether it’s an electrical contractor bringing a couple of grand worth of power tools Insufficient cover could lead to the loss of or a larger contractor with hundreds of vehicles, and potentially, whole livelihoods. thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment, there will be a policy to suit. Income Protection Insurance Income protection isn’t a form of business In some cases the insurer won’t be insurance, but it is still critically important Contractors may need a specialist insurance policy concerned about whether or not the for a mining contractor. that doesn’t cover just mining, but the specific type of work being carried out on the mine sites. equipment is being used on a mining site,

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P 1300 477 662 construction E [email protected] transport A 3b/45 Cedric St, Stirling WA 6021

connectbi.com.au engineering 24 MINING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA AMR SEP2020 FEATURES

SA is home to large-scale copper/gold mines such as Carrapateena.

THEouth Australia’s POWER mining sector is cushioned by theOF decrease inTHE the Australian maintain MINE production through the pandemic. Prominent Hill underground mine, poised to help the state’s economy dollar over the same period.” alongside underground operations at the recover from the COVID-19 crisis. The company charters more than 40 Ankata region. The State Government also deferred costs flights from Adelaide Airport every week to SAccording to figures from the SA Chamber linked to exploration and licence fees for the transport thousands of its workers to Roxby Improved valuations of mine reserves have of Mining and Energy, royalties paid to the minerals and petroleum sectors to alleviate Downs near Olympic Dam. increased the mine life until 2029. State Government are projected to reach the impact on industry of coronavirus $325m for the 2019/20 financial year, up containment measures. This year it adopted new body temperature Four Mile from $299m the previous financial year and screening procedures at Adelaide Airport to The Quasar Resources-owned Four $207m in 2015/16. In addition, there is a 12-month waiver screen its passengers before boarding. Mile project is the state’s only mine that of committed expenditure for all mineral exclusively produces uranium, following the Jobs in the sector have also grown to reach exploration licence holders. Under the new protocols, passengers closure of the Honeymoon mine in 2013. more than 27,000 direct and non-direct recording 38°C or above on a thermal employees this year, boosted in recent times The state has completed the Gawler Craton camera will be asked to take a secondary Jacinth-Ambrosia by more than 1000 direct construction and Airborne Survey, which captured about test using a thermometer, with anyone still The Iluka Resources-owned project is South production jobs at Carrapateena copper/ 1.8m line kilometres of data over an area recording an elevated temperature not Australia’s only mine currently producing gold mine north of Port Augusta. of about 324,000km2 – the size of Norway permitted to board the flight until they are heavy minerals, such as zircon and ilmenite, – and is the largest survey of its kind to be cleared by a medical certificate. through sand mining. Fortunately as well, dipping global done in Australia and possibly the world. commodity prices – which are calculated in Meanwhile, OZ Minerals said it had so far Central Eyre US dollars – have been offset by a slump in The survey aims to help explorers discover not experienced any production impacts as Developed by Iron Road, the Central Eyre the value of the Australian dollar. A recent new deposits in the region, which is a result of the virus at its Prominent Hill and project will be the state’s only mine that will global survey of 2400 explorers, developers already home to large-scale copper/gold Carrapateena sites. produce magnetite, a mineral typically found and other mining-related companies mines Olympic Dam, Prominent Hill and in iron ore that can be used to separate listed South Australia as the sixth most Carrapateena. The company is also increasing its ore coal from waste material, giving the project attractive jurisdiction in the world for mining stockpiles to safeguard production against significant potential for involvement in the investment, up from 24th in 2018. SA Chamber of Mining and Energy CEO any worsening of conditions. mining supply chain. Rebecca Knol said the resources sector now South Australia was placed in the top 10 of contributed 50% of the state’s exports and Mine, Mine, Mine Wilgerup the latest Fraser Institute Survey of Mining its workforce was growing at pace. She said As well as the large mining operations, Sharing the Central Eyre peninsula is the Companies rankings, in which WA made top the ranking in the Fraser Institute Survey from significant uranium projects to the Wilgerup project, a similarly specialised spot ahead of Finland and Nevada. had allowed the state’s mining industry to world’s largest zircon mine, the state also mine that will exclusively produce hermatite, start the decade on a high note. boasts a number of exciting new mining an ore which comprises much of the iron Last year the state produced about $4.5b developments, including a project that aims orebodies that are mined around the world, worth of minerals, led by copper, which “This result will provide positive momentum to be the world’s largest graphite mine. and has a secondary use in the manufacture accounted for about 50% of the value, for the South Australian resources sector, Mines include: of gemstones. followed by gold and iron ore. which is already the engine room of the South Australian economy and drives Olympic Dam Siviour Mine The copper results stem from the South innovation and employment for the state,” This BHP-owned project comprises above The project aims to be the state’s largest Australian government’s Copper Strategy she said. ground and underground operations, and graphite mine by production, targeting launched in February 2016, which aims to boasts more than 450km of underground 142,000t of graphite per year. triple copper production to 1mt per year As many industries struggle through roads and tunnels to help miners access within two decades. COVID-19, mining in South Australia has so deposits of copper, gold, silver and uranium, Hillside Mine far proven resilient. for which it remains the state’s largest Rex Minerals’ Hillside project has the South Australia is also a major producer of producer. potential to be one of Australia’s largest uranium, hosting four of the six approved Ms Knol said the resources sector had open pit copper projects, with proven and uranium mines in Australia, which generated been defined as an essential service and Prominent Hill probable resources totalling just 500,000t of more than $500m in revenue in 2019. In was taking steps to protect workers and Work continues at the OZ Minerals’ copper, and close to 500,000oz of gold. AMR a recent article, PricewaterhouseCoopers communities from the spread of COVID-19 partner Andrew Forman said the rise in by implementing measures such as health royalties in recent years was a result of monitoring, regular cleaning, physical increases in both production and sale prices. distancing, travel limits and shift changes.

“What we’ve seen in the last few years in “Our sector is continuing to generate revenue South Australia is both of those things – for the state thereby contributing financially increases in production and also steady to the economic stimulus packages provided increase in commodity prices, which have by the Marshall Government to businesses pulled back a little bit in recent weeks but by and workers affected by the restrictions,” and large we’re still in a pretty reasonable she said. position and that position has improved,” he said. “This revenue stream is critically important for the state during the crisis and will remain “The Australian dollar has declined pretty so throughout recovery and beyond. significantly over the course of this calendar year already and pretty much all commodity “With a proven track record of adaptability prices are in US dollars, and once you and resilience in difficult times, the convert that to Australian dollars it does resources sector is dynamic and innovative, represent a pretty significant cushion to it embraces change and it leads the way. prices received by Australian producers of It will be key to South Australia’s economic mineral commodities. recovery.” BHP, which operates the state’s largest mine “While commodity prices have come down BHP, which operates the state’s largest mine Olympic Dam, is employing an additional 1500 The Siviour project aims to be the state’s largest a little in recent months from a reasonably Olympic Dam, is employing an additional people across Australia to help it maintain graphite mine by production, targeting 142,000t good level, I suspect that has largely been 1500 people across Australia to help it production through the pandemic. of graphite per year. SEP2020 AMR MINING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA 25 FEATURES

Downer Mining

One of Australia’s leading providers of contract mining services with extensive operations and management capability in small, medium and large projects across multiple commodities. Our project solutions include: • Flexibility to align with customer objectives • Cost effective solutions • Innovative Mine Planning • Asset Management, including mining fleets and fixed assets • AS/ISO Accredited Health, Safety, Environmental and Quality systems • Community engagement • Inclusive workforce

To find out more visit: downergroup.com/mining-services Or call us: 07 3564 5000 (Brisbane) 08 6212 9500 (Perth) 26 MINING IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA AMR SEP2020 FEATURES LOCAL MANUFACTURING, LOCAL JOBS

Adbri has a strong presence in the South Australia mining region.

delaide Brighton (Adbri Limited) and local employment. its Birkenhead site in South Australia. and the broader industry,” Mr Plunkett said. is one of Australia’s leading integrated construction materials “We’re all about local workers and domestic The facility is NATA-approved and is well Adbri has a strong presence in the South and lime producers, supplying a production, with major facilities in the equipped to provide product development Australia mining region with a long-standing rangeA of highly specialised cement, lime, resource rich states of South Australia, WA testing to support the broader industry. contract at BHP’s Olympic Dam project aggregates, and concrete products to the and the Northern Territory,” Adbri Sales and more recent contracts at OZ Minerals’ mining industry. and Marketing Manager SA, Vic, NSW John Capabilities of the lab facilities include Prominent Hill and Carrapateena projects. Plunkett said. advanced analytical techniques (XRF, XRD) The company has origins dating back to and a broad range of physical test methods The company looks forward to continuing 1882 and is proud to be an ASX200 company “Our raw material supply, operations and including compressive strength, shrinkage, to service this important mining State and with an impressive 1500 employees, and logistics networks are well located and setting times and durability testing. welcomes interested parties to get in touch operations in every Australian state and connected to deliver reliable, high-quality to discuss their project requirements. territory. and low-cost materials to the mining sector.” “The new lab has been used on a number of occasions now to assist the binder More information on Adbri can be found at On the back of a tough six months globally The company recently made a significant development of our mining customers and www.adbri.com.au or by calling the team amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Adbri remains investment in building a state-of-the-art we look forward to continuing to provide on (08) 8300 0440. focused on supporting local manufacturing construction material testing laboratory at this unique service to our valued customers AMR

Bringing performance and certainty to modern day mining.

Over the years our partnerships within the South Australian mining sector has proven we have the scale, capabilities, expertise and experience to supply bulk cement and lime products to meet the industries demanding performance specifications. adbri.com.au Building a better Australia since 1882. Adelaide Brighton Cement

Logo / Tagline / Text in banner with left justified text placement on left. SEP2020 AMR PROMINENT HILL 27 FEATURES

Prominent Hill produces one of the highest grades of copper concentrate traded on the open market.

PROMINENTZ Minerals has allocated an The 24-hour operation PRODUCTION is comprised of the History copper soars on the back of demand hopes additional $6m-$9m in capital Ankata underground mine, a conventional OZ Minerals is a copper-focused, global, in China, the world’s top consumer of the expenditure for its Prominent Hill crushing, grinding and flotation processing modern mining company based in South metal, and supply problems across South mine this year, after deferring plant, and a permanent accommodation Australia. America, where the coronavirus pandemic Ofunding earlier in 2020 due to uncertainties village for its staff. has reduced workforce numbers. posed by COVID-19. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange, The Malu open pit mine concluded the company has a growth strategy focused OZ Minerals said it has increased copper Located in one of the world’s most mining- operations in Q1 2018. Prominent Hill has on creating value for all stakeholders. As production guidance at its Prominent Hill friendly locations, Prominent Hill possesses a workforce of about 1200 employees, well as Prominent Hill, OZ owns the copper and Carrapateena mines, and now expects highly competitive fundamentals. including contractors. mine at Carrapateena, and has assets in the to produce 88,000-105,000t of copper, up Carajas province of Brazil. from 83,000-100,000t. The large copper-gold mine, located 650km Concentrate is transported via the Adelaide north west of Adelaide and 130km south- to Darwin railway to the Port of Darwin. It also has a pipeline of earn-in agreements It also lifted gold production guidance from east of Coober Pedy in South Australia, Prominent Hill delivers around 600t of with experienced exploration companies 207,000-234,000oz to 227,000-249,000oz delivers a high grade resource, with the ore concentrate per day, six days per week, to in Australia and internationally. Focused due to the solid performance of the mines, processed using conventional methods. the port. on creating a pipeline of opportunities, and cost reductions aided by increased OZ maintains a commitment to safety, 2020 gold price assumptions to US$1620/oz. The underground decline development Geology capital discipline and values to underpin its The company further aims to finalise its at Prominent Hill will allow OZ Minerals to Prominent Hill is an iron oxide/copper/gold operations. acquisition of Cassini Resources in October. begin mining the western side of the Malu deposit located in the Gawler Craton, which orebody in a bottom-up sequence. covers about 600,000km2 of South Australia. OZ Minerals prides itself on being a modern “The acquisition, should it be supported mining company that adapts to changing by Cassini shareholders, will consolidate It will also open up the pathway to bottom- As well as Prominent Hill, the prolific site environments, harnessing the innovative ownership of the West Musgrave project up mining from deeper underground from hosts Olympic Dam and Carrapateena, and ideas of its people and collaborating to to 100 per cent and provide development mid to late 2021. a number of other smaller and subeconomic leverage the experience of those around. optionality,” Cole said. copper-gold deposits. According to OZ Minerals chief executive Australia’s third largest copper producer, OZ “We remain focussed on completing the Andrew Cole, with sustainable annualised Most of these deposits are thought to be Minerals was formed in 2008 by the merger transaction in the coming months.” rates at or above 4mt per year in recent genetically related to the Gawler Range of two Australian non-ferrous metals mining months, the company has brought forward Volcanic–Hiltaba magmatic event which businesses - Oxiana and Zinifex. Mr Cole said his team had delivered a solid future decline development spend to further affected the central and eastern portions of quarter while adjusting to COVID. consolidate underground ore movement. the Craton millions of years ago. A proportion of OZ Minerals’ assets – excluding Prominent Hill – were then “The ongoing focus to protect the health “We will increase mining rates to between Copper-gold-silver mineralisation at acquired in 2009 by China Non Ferrous and safety of our employees and other 4mt per year to 5mt per year from 2022, Prominent Hill is mostly hosted within Metals (Minmetals), the company now stakeholders through the COVID-19 prior to any additional tonnage from a hematite-matrix breccia, with copper operating as MMG. pandemic has pleasingly resulted in no cases potential underground expansion,” he said. mineralisation occuring as disseminations In 2011, OZ Minerals purchased the identified at Prominent Hill or Carrapateena of chalcocite, bornite and chalcopyrite in the Carrapateena exploration project. to this point,” Mr Cole said. “A study update is expected towards the matrix of the breccia. end of the year on the expansion which is In 2012, the Prominent Hill operation “The number of people from our Brazil team contemplating a shaft haulage system.” Mineral Resource was expanded to include underground who are currently positive for COVID-19 is The Prominent Hill Mineral Resource as at mining at Ankata, and in 2015, a second in single digits and they are recovering at Prominent Hill was discovered in 2001 June 30, 2019, has been estimated at 140mt, underground mine, Malu Underground, home. by Adelaide-based Minotaur Exploration grading 1% copper and 0.7g/t gold, and was commissioned. The underground and was considered the most significant represents a combination of both copper operations were subsequently integrated “However, to ensure ongoing employee Greenfield discovery in Australia for a and gold mineralisation. from an operational perspective. safety and continued operations, extensive decade. preventative and contingency measures This estimate includes mineralisation from Forecasts remain in place should conditions Indeed, it produces one of the highest both the Prominent Hill underground and In July, OZ Minerals raised its full-year copper deteriorate.” grades of copper concentrate traded on the surface stockpiles, and is inclusive of the Ore and gold production targets following a open market. Reserves. The mine life has been extended better-than-expected first-half performance OZ Minerals’ shares have more than until 2030 following a 50% increase to across the two SA mines. doubled in value since March, when they There are also significant opportunities for underground Proved Reserves. were trading around $7. The stock peaked organic growth. The upbeat outlook comes as the price of above $14 in August. AMR

OZ Minerals has increased copper production guidance at its Prominent Hill has a workforce of about 1200 employees, Prominent Hill and Carrapateena mines, and now expects to including contractors. produce 88,000-105,000t of copper, up from 83,000-100,000t. Staff at the Prominent Hill mine. 28 PROMINENT HILL AMR SEP2020 FEATURES TGOOD

TOOGOOD has GOODengineered, procured, manufactured and constructed an impressive 132kV > 11kV sub-station at OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill mine Tin South Australia.

The project, which is now ready for energisation, was a challenge from the outset given the mine’s remote location, tight schedule, and the associated risks involved in a brownfield upgrade in a 132KV switch yard. In August 2019, TGOOD formed an Alliance partnership with OZ Minerals. “In an operating mine where no outages are allowed, this was certainly going to be global pandemic, in the most critical phase hard work and dedication. The market has now accepted the value that a tough project,” TGOOD chief executive of the project. Global supply chains were TGOOD brings to Australia with completed Wayne Clay said. severely disrupted, State borders were “This project is a testament as to what can be projects in multiple locations, in multiple closed and being a FIFO workforce, staff and achieved when organisations come together verticals and offerings. However, this is where the expertise and resources were severely impacted. in a collaborative way of doing work and an experience of the TGOOD team shone objective of getting things done,” he said. In 2020, TGOOD Australia will deliver power through. The only way this project was going “It was certainly a challenge to maintain equipment and distribution solutions for to achieve its objectives was for the client schedule and keep the on-site team Founded in 2004 by a forward-thinking multiple mining and renewable energy and contractor to work together. motivated,” TGOOD’s project manager team of German and Chinese engineers, infrastructure projects, as well as directly Martin D’Arcy said. TGOOD is the world leader in eHouse and to the power transmission and distribution In August 2019, TGOOD formed an alliance prefabricated substation solutions and is the utilities across Australia. partnership with OZ Minerals (a first for both “We had to use all our innovation and world’s largest EV charging infrastructure companies), which was led by experienced creativity to maintain production and staff provider today. More information can be found by calling industry veterans in alliance contracting, morale.” the team on +1300 061 299, Wayne Clay and Harvey Fernandez. “We manufacture all MV and HV and emailing [email protected] Mr Clay said the project was now complete electrical components in-house,” Mr Clay or visiting www.tgood.com To add to the difficulty, along came the and thanked all who were involved for their said. AMR

Innovative solutions to get your product from mine to market.

Qube Bulk is proud to FROM DESKTOP TO: > FEASIBILITY be providing Mine to Port > SOLUTION services for OZ Minerals DEVELOPMENT > PROJECT Prominent Hill since 2009. DELIVERY > SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS

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Powering mines, faster.

TGOOD Australia is focused on delivering modular, pre-fabricated power distribution solutions for the Australian mining sector.

We measure delivery and installation time in weeks, not months Faster Assembly Faster Construction Faster Installation Faster Commissioning Many substation solutions Minimized civil works vastly Modular prefabricated Rigorous factory testing ready to depart factory in as reduce building effort. substations considerably reduce reduces commissioning times little as six weeks. on-site construction times. by an average of 50%.

A Proud Partner of OZ Minerals

We recently partnered with OZ Minerals to Engineer, Procure Manufacture and Construct their Get in touch 132kV > 11kV sub-station at the Prominent Hill mine in South Australia. TGOOD Australia Pty Ltd This High Voltage sub-station sits at the end terminal of the Hill 2 Hill project and key Unit 1, 4 Henry Street aspects of TGOOD’s delivery were as follows: Loganholme QLD 4129 • A new 132kV OH bus section, including isolators and circuit Breakers; manufactured and supplied by TGOOD Phone 1300 061 299

• A new Transformer bay comprising a 55MVA power transformer Email [email protected]

• A new Switchgear room, comprising TGOODS TAP17 11kV primary switchboard; Web www.tgood.com manufactured and supplied by TGOOD

• A new Control Building and associated equipment; manufactured and supplied by TGOOD

• Auxiliary transformer kiosks, manufactured and supplied by TGOOD.

• Two 16Mvar STATCOM’s

• All design, civil works etc was all completed by TGOOD. 30 PROMINENT HILL AMR SEP2020 FEATURES SUPPORT OVER

Want to

ince 2004, AMC Consultants (AMC) In addition to this, AMC has undertaken has assisted Prominent Hill. Drawing annual audits of the open pit and unearth 16on the expertise of theYEARS company’s underground Mineral Resources and Ore globally renowned experts, AMC has Reserves. Sbeen a trusted partner for this world-class copper-gold mining operation from the very To ensure the operation continues to hidden value? beginning. improve, OZ Minerals has engaged AMC in regular reviews of the mining costs AMC was involved throughout the original and productivities using its proprietary feasibility study by completing the scoping Performance Diagnostics solution. study, the mining aspects of the pre- feasibility, as well as the definitive feasibility AMC’s Performance Diagnostics is studies for the open pit mine. underpinned by Smart Data™, the largest validated global database of actual mine INTRODUCING The team also provided technical support to cost and production data in the world. the open pit and underground mine in the form of geotechnical reviews, site support Built over 20 years, it is an extensive library (secondments), mine planning assistance, of best operating practices and systems and cut-off grade advice. for both open pit and underground Performance metalliferous mines. AMR Diagnostics with AMC Consultants

Performance Diagnostics typically deliver cost savings and productivity improvements magnitudes greater than the investment. AMC’s Performance

Diagnostics helps OZ Minerals AMC was involved throughout the original feasibility study for Prominent Hill. mine smarter by providing Images: Prominent Hill regular reviews of the mining costs and productivities at its Prominent Hill mining operation. To learn more, visit us at amcconsultants.com or call us at +61 3 8601 3300. SEP2020 AMR PROMINENT HILL 31 FEATURES

PLACES THAT WORK, THINK AND GIVE

Our Resources customers want a safe, happy and productive workforce – and that’s what we want too. As managers of multiple villages and townships across Australia, we are responsible for creating exceptional environments, which make residents’ lives relaxing, enjoyable and easier. We know this is a huge advantage for our customers to attract the best talent. It also ensures their workers are in the best physical and mental state to give their ‘all’ during their working day.

At ISS, we’re driven to make our resources sites work better through quality, safety and innovation - and make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Please contact Carl Pie to see how ISS make better village experiences: [email protected]

17 Resources sites Serving 15,000 Cleaning and across QLD, WA meals per day to manging 12,500 and SA Australian miners rooms per day www.au.issworld.com 32 NEW ACLAND AMR SEP2020 FEATURES

WAITING FOR

The New Acland Stage 3 project will create 187 new jobs within the first six months, 487 jobs within 18 months and inject $7b into the Queensland economy.

THEmpetus is growing GREEN for the Queensland “We all LIGHTknow the dire state of the Appeal has ordered it to pay. The operation provides significant benefit State Government to approve New Hope Queensland economy. Yet here we have the to the surrounding region through Groups’s New Acland Stage 3 project. Labor Government, who say they are all for TSBE CEO Ali Davenport said the Supreme infrastructure provision and support, jobs in regional Queensland, sitting on their Court agreed that OCAA owes a substantial environmental and educational projects, IThe planned expansion to the existing hands rather than approve a project that will debt to New Acland Mine but it appears to as well as participation and support for mine, which had an environmental impact create hundreds of jobs for local workers.” be insolvent. community development initiatives. assessment carried out in 2010, aims to extend the operating life of the mine to Acland Mine general manager Dave O’Dwyer “It is disappointing that an insolvent A multiple block extraction mining system about 2042, with annual production tipped welcomed Mr Powell’s visit to the site. organisation is permitted to continue is used to provide access to the coal, to rise to 7.5mt. accruing debt while delaying a much-needed with the process allowing for blending “Our crews have been sensational project,” she said. different qualities of coal to meet product Yet now, 10 years on – despite the many throughout this process but it has been specification. economic benefits that the project would tough on them and their families,” he said. “New Hope Group has been fighting to get bring – the miner is still awaiting the green New Acland Mine Stage 3 approved for The project features two coal preparation light. “All we are asking from the government is more than 13 years, which once approved plants in addition to a train loading facility some certainty for the future.” will save the jobs of existing workers and near Jondaryan. Shadow State Development minister create future jobs for our region.” Andrew Powell is among many who have If approved the New Acland Stage 3 project Key to the operation’s success is industry- questioned the Government’s motives for will create 187 new jobs within the first six History leading performance in the availability of stalling approvals. After visiting the New months, 487 jobs within 18 months and For more than a decade, the New Acland equipment and diggers – exceeding 8000 Acland site, he said he was impressed by inject $7b into the Queensland economy. open cut coal mine – owned by New Hope operating hours per year. the operation, particularly the rehabilitation Group – has been a major employer and work being done. Part of the reason for the delay has been economic spur to the Darling Downs region Increases in production have been led by court action against the project taken by in Queensland. record Coal Handling and Preparation Plant “The rehabilitation is outstanding,” he said. the Oakey Coal Action Alliance, representing (CHPP) performance. “It’s hard to believe there was once a mine Darling Downs farmers. Located adjacent to Acland township, about under all that grass. 10km north of Oakey, it provides direct jobs Alongside productivity performance, the While the legal challenge had been for more than 300 locals, 500 contractors, company’s ‘Life Rules’ safety program “But what I really can’t get over is the fact dismissed, the group is now appealing the and contributes to 2300 more indirect jobs. ensures that safety is a priority and always the State Government is sitting on the decision in the High Court. front of mind. vital approvals this mine needs to keep New Acland is a substantial and loyal employing regional Queenslanders. Toowoomba’s peak economic development supporter of local businessses and Geology organisation, Toowoomba and Surat Basin suppliers, each year injecting more than The Acland coal deposit is in the Clarence “The workers I spoke to are truly fearful Enterprises, said that the Supreme Court of $110m into the Darling Downs economy Moreton Basin within the lower Walloon they will be out of work within the next six Queensland’s ruling to adjourn proceedings and more than $300m into the broader Coal Measures and is similar to other months if something doesn’t change.” until the alliance’s appeal has been heard south-east Queensland economy. Walloon coal deposits mined at Jeebropilly. will put local jobs at risk. Mr Powell said, in the current climate, the Through a leading rehabilitation program, The Acland-Sabine sequence, which is Government should be looking at every To complicate matters, New Hope Group mining lease areas are continually returned currently mined at New Acland, is 30 metres opportunity to create jobs, not destroy has already applied to wind up the OCAA to agricultural and conservation uses. to 60 metres thick. It contains six seam them. based on the $735,000 that the Court of groups nominated from the top to bottom

Andrew Powell MP (centre) with Acland Mine manager Simon Ponder (left) and Condamine MP Pat Weir, pictured in front of trucks that have been parked up following the redundancies of 150 workers at New Acland last October, forced At New Acland, mine buffer zones are farmed and by the lingering approval delays. rehabilitated mine areas are returned to grazing. SEP2020 AMR NEW ACLAND 33 FEATURES

as A to F, with up to 10 plies within each anchored in the ability to manage each the project’s potential impacts, several group and 47 plies in all. step in the coal chain, from exploration modifications were made, including a and mining through to delivery for our reduction in scope, resulting in a modified The seam groups contain up to 18 metres customers via our port operations. proposal that was 63%, or 2300ha, smaller of banded coal with an average thickness than the original. of the individual plies of 0.23 metres. Agriculture New Hope believes that mining and New Acland Coal also proposed to move Coal agriculture can exist together, and is the existing Jondaryan rail coal load-out New Acland is one of two New Hope open demonstrating this at New Acland, facility onto the mine site, with an 8km rail cut coal mines in South East Queensland where mine buffer zones are farmed and spur connecting the facility to the existing that produce thermal coal, the other being rehabilitated mine areas are returned to rail line. Jeebropilly in the West Moreton region grazing. near Ipswich. Additional changes to the plan included Acland Pastoral Company (APC), leaving the Acland town area, including More than 90% is directly sold to export established in 2006, is a farming, grazing landmarks such as the Tom Doherty Park, markets, predominantly in the Asia and land management enterprise based at the War Memorial and the Acland No 2 Pacific region, with the remainder sold New Acland. Colliery, in place. domestically to general industry processors The CFMEU are proud to and manufacturers. The company oversees 10,000ha of land, The revised project was also changed so support the expansion of including grazing 2000ha of cattle, and that the mining operations would sit 10km The company exports Tivoli brand coal, manages 2400ha of crops, which are from the township of Oakey, while profiling New Acland Mine which produces low nitrous oxides and primarily sold in the Darling Downs region. and veneering technology was promised carbon dioxide emissions and has low The business continues to investigate new at the project’s rail loading facility, and sulphur content, making it one of Australia’s crop types. Lagoon Creek no longer needed to be cleanest burning coals. diverted for mining operations. The company manages the progressive Coal mined and sold by New Hope is rehabilitation program that forms a central A New Hope spokesman said the group recognised by independent experts as aspect to the sustainability plan for New remains committed to delivering the Stage being one of the lowest greenhouse gas- Acland. At any one time, only 10% of lease 3 project and has vowed to actively work producing coals in the world. area is actively mined. More than 300ha of with the relevant government departments land have been rehabilitated and returned to progress through these steps. This superior environmental performance to cattle grazing land. provides an added strength as He said obtaining final approval this environmental management becomes This ensures that mined land converts back calendar year was critical to ensuring the increasingly critical. to productive agricultural uses as well as continuity of operations and therefore conservation areas. employment for the employees and The objective is to increase Australian contractors currently engaged at the New production through existing resource As a member of AgForce Queensland, Acland mine. development, new resource exploration the peak organisation representing and acquisitions. Queensland’s rural producers, APC is “Queensland State Government approval committed to best practice agricultural and is urgently needed to ensure we can To this end, current mining operations land management operations. continue to provide employment to the are complemented by investment in an existing workforce, the Oakey community, extensive exploration program. Stage 3 Stalemate suppliers and others reliant on the mine,” In response to initial concerns raised in he said. AMR New Hope’s competitive advantage is by the Queensland Government about me.cfmeu.org.au JCB MAKES EARTH MOVE stablished in 1987, John C Beaumont JCB has had major involvement in civil works Earthmoving (JCB) is now recognised for Remondis Australia, rehabilitating old as a leader in earthmoving and coal mines and transforming them into large excavation services across South East scale industrial waste facilities, and also EQueensland. rehabilitating troublesome spontaneous combustion events in old cold waste With more than 40 employees and more throughout the west Morton field. than 30 years’ experience behind them, JCB is sought by industry professionals One of JCB’s high profile clients has been for advice on challenging projects where New Hope Group and specifically New practical know-how and innovative thinking Acland Coal Mine, where the company was are required to resolve complex site issues. contracted to build infrastructure, moving 1.3million BCM, for the box-cut production JCB’s clients include mining companies, coal mine. government utilities, local councils and private landholders. This included building a ROM pad, raw water dam, environmental dams and levees, Employing an extensive range of equipment sedimentation dams and tailings dams with and specialist operators, JCB provides a range associated drains and rock spillways and of earthmoving and excavation services to coal mine rehabilitation. support projects such as bulk earthworks, mining, quarrying, road construction, dam JCB built an industrial level crossing, construction, flood remediation and site including boom gates, as well as bridging rehabilitation. over Moonie Pipeline by removing the railway line and embankment and replacing JCB maintains specialist equipment to tackle with a 3.5m deep road base pavement. any size project and has the capacity to supply specific project requirements. Associated culverts, pipe work, head walls, rock work and drainage were also WE MAKE THE EARTH MOVE JCB’s range of equipment includes scrapers, completed. graders, screening plants, crushers, tractors and slashers, dozers including swamp JCB is a major supporter of the Acland Stage dozers, trucks, articulated dump trucks and 3 project eagerly awaits approval and the JOHN C BEAUMONT EARTHMOVING water tankers, bobcats, roller compactors benefits it will bring companies, contractors, Established Industry Specialist and excavators. workers, local business and the local community. Shaping your local environment since 1985 As well, JCB brings together teams of highly skilled and industry accredited personnel to The state of Queensland would be a major work on specific projects as required. receiver of economic relief in these troubling 456 Pine Mountain Rd, 07 5464 3307 0439 746 147 [email protected] and unpredictable times. AMR Team members are chosen for their Muirlea QLD 4306 ability to work collaboratively with other professionals and contractors to achieve johncbeaumont.com.au project milestones. 34 NEW ACLAND AMR SEP2020 FEATURES ENVIRONMENTAL

OFFSETeeting regulatory requirements SPECIALISTS development and projects. for biodiversity offsets can be daunting and complex so it is vital ‘’We really focus on helping clients on the to engage leaders in the field. ground by using a pragmatic approach and M finding real-world solutions to complex Earthtrade is Australia’s leading offset problems,’’ he said. procurement and solution specialist, successfully sourcing and securing 80 ‘’The key to successful offsets is to projects, covering more than 20,000ha, in progressively work towards an outcome Alan Key and David Nilon of Earthtrade, which the past 13 years. using a management plan that is flexible has sourced and secured 80 biodiversity projects to date. and adaptable to seasonal conditions. The company offers a full service by helping clients through the complexities of sourcing ‘’None of our clients actually mind doing A world-first project in 2015 involved negotiations between the regulators, an appropriate offset site, negotiations offsets, they just want a clear process that Earthtrade securing about 500ha of developers and landholders to source and with offset providers, regulatory approval, is efficient. endangered Brigalow Belt land as a secure offsets. management, monitoring and reporting. biodiversity offset for Cockatoo Coal and ‘’The plan needs to be structured BHP on Indigenous land. He supports clients with a strategic approach Earthtrade’s strategic approach enables commercially to ensure clients achieve to biodiversity offsets, aligning future clients to achieve their development both their regulatory and corporate The agreement gave protection to the growth projects and corporate strategy with approval conditions while also meeting their requirements.’’ ornamental snake as well as the vulnerable a solution enabling projects to proceed with corporate goals. Squatter Pigeon and Long-Eared Bat. regulatory and budgetary certainty. Offsets the company has negotiated have Since its inception in 2007, the company included securing land for endangered The company has worked with a raft of Prior to establishing Earthtrade, Mr has consistently delivered results and and vulnerable species such as the Koala, major clients including Stockland, Anglo Key spent 19 years at the Queensland has developed a strong network of Greater Glider, Ornamental Snake and American, New Hope Group, Santos and the departments of Primary Industries and landholders—corporate, government and Squatter Pigeon. Queensland Government. Natural Resource Management in the fields private—who have an interest in providing of soil conservation, sustainable agriculture land that may be suitable for offsets. Earthtrade has also secured the two largest Earthtrade has undertaken projects ranging and vegetation management. Koala offsets in south-east Queensland. in scale from 0.5ha to 4000ha and are Earthtrade managing director Alan Key currently negotiating offsets for a number Mr Key was also involved in the formulation said the company’s primary focus was The Queensland-focused company works of clients that will be cover about 10,000ha. of Queensland’s Regional Vegetation on assisting clients to source and secure across the resources, infrastructure and Management Codes for clearing under the biodiversity offsets that are required by housing development sectors. Mr Key is a leader in the offset industry Vegetation Management Act 1999. AMR law to compensate for land cleared for and is highly experienced in undertaking

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[email protected] | +61 7 4194 5009 earthtrade.com.au SEP2020 AMR NEW ACLAND 35 FEATURES FUELLING MINING’S

GREENERpioneering Dual Fuel truck trial VisitingFUTURE companies saw first-hand the at New Hope’s New Acland Mine benefits of a cleaner burning fuel, a quieter received global attention when cabin with reduced vibration and the it won the coveted Innovation in ability for the haul truck to carry full up to MiningA award at the Queensland Mining 200 tonne payloads with no loss of power Awards in 2018. or performance while substituting high percentages of diesel with natural gas. Developed by Mine Energy Solutions (MES), A Caterpillar 789C being refuelled with HDCNG dual fuel at New Acland Coal Mine. the Non Invasive HDCNG® Dual Fuel They also had the opportunity to discuss technology was recognised for its standout the integration of the dual fuel fleet into ability to significantly lower emissions, mine operations and maintenance activities develop commercial projects in the USA, as the Queensland Government’s Climate reduce operational costs, and reduce the with the machine operators and the mine’s West Africa and South America, whilst in Transition Strategy and to a safer and road congestion and risks associated with executive leadership team. Australia we are concentrating our efforts in healthier workplace. diesel deliveries to site. WA and Queensland.” MES CEO Derek Fekete said the successful Methane is an extremely safe fuel MES and New Acland Coal collaborated trial provided the confidence and a launch Gas availability is a critical pre-requisite to when extracted, stored, transported and closely from 2016 to 2018 to advance the pad for implementation of the technology at any potential fleet conversion and whilst handled properly and MES’s robustly MES HDCNG® dual fuel technology from mine sites globally across the industry. many locations MES are working in have engineered state-of-the-art equipment, the proof-of-concept to a mine-site ready access to pipeline gas for power generation safety management plans and procedures commercial product. “What the trial has successfully and/or mineral processing, some locations ensure the ongoing safety of people and demonstrated is that this technology is such as in the Queensland coalfields a high assets. The Dual Fuel truck transitioned seamlessly viable and effective at a large-scale mine quality fuel, coal bed methane, is under the into New Acland’s diesel powered fleet and site,” he said. miners feet simply ready for harvesting and Mine Energy Solutions has a flexible business has impressed the mine’s owner, New Hope use on site. model that can provide a fully capital funded Group. “We have developed dual fuel conversion solution if required. products for a range of OEM truck and This almost pure methane is the best gas for Mining companies from around the globe engine combinations including Caterpillar, the substitution of diesel in mobile mining Fleet conversion can result in a 25% to 40% visited MES’s development centre and Komatsu, Liebherr, Cummins and MTU. and in Queensland much of it is currently reduction in fuel costs depending on the factory located 40 minutes from Brisbane wasted being flared as underground gas source and up to a 30% reduction in the Airport, and were also welcomed and “After tens of millions of dollars in investment mine or seam drainage, naturally seeps to associated greenhouse gas footprint, as well hosted by the Acland site team to witness and several years of development, and with atmosphere, or liberated through mining as significantly reducing road fuel tanker and understand the technology in an the ongoing support of shareholders Sime activities. Its use as a diesel substitute could traffic on metropolitan and regional road operational circuit with other standard fleet. Darby Berhad and Intelligas, MES is currently contribute significantly to a mine site’s networks improving social and community engaged with Tier 1 mining companies to carbon abatement commitments as well outcomes. AMR

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DUAL FUELLING THE FUTURE

Mine Energy Solutions’ HDCNG® technology delivers significant, sustainable benefits through: • Lower Emissions & Operating Costs • Advanced gas over diesel dual fuel system • World Leading substitution and operating range • Patented onboard fuel gas storage • Award Winning Technology 36 ADANI AUSTRALIA AMR SEP2020 FEATURES

ALLThere are now more than SYSTEMS 700 people working on the mine and rail project construction. GO

ork is well underway towards BMD had been awarded a $350m-plus completion of Adani Mining’s contract to deliver civil construction works Carmichael Mine site, west of for the Carmichael Rail Network. Rockhampton, Queensland. W BMD has operated in North Queensland for Construction of the project is continuing more than 25 years, with Townsville forming with strict measures in place to manage the its regional base for delivery of this contract. risk of the COVID-19 virus. The civil construction of the rail network is being delivered in two parts – BMD will As of mid-2020, more than $1b in contracts complete one section and Martinus the had been signed for the construction of the other civil rail contract partner. Carmichael Mine and Rail project, with the company generating up to 1500 direct jobs The civil components of the BMD contract at the peak of construction and supporting include the delivery of earthworks, thousands of indirect jobs. drainage, bridges, rail camp construction and associated road upgrades. Adani Australia has partnered with many This Liebherr excavator was assembled on-site. local businesses for the mine development, Meanwhile, Mackay-based G&S Engineering, including Townsville’s Mendi Group, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of DRA Global carrying out onsite civil engineering, and the Ltd, will build Adani’s Coal Handling Plant, Wagner Group, which is building a quarry to having been awarded a contract to deliver support operations. the project.

The company’s excavator and mine trucks G&S Engineering is a leading provider of have been busy at the open cut pit to services to the Australian resources sector, remove the layers of overburden above the having completed similar work for other coal seams. coal mines across the country.

Adani Mining CEO David Boshoff said work DRA will carry out the design, engineering to remove the rock, known as the box-cut, and construction of the Plant, which is was a significant milestone to have ticked off expected to create about 200 jobs and on the construction schedule. deliver an economic boost to Mackay and regional Queensland. “We are on track to export first coal in 2021,” Mr Boshoff said. DRA Global CEO Andrew Naude said the When the mine is operational, each truck will cart up to 320t of coal from the pit. company’s use of innovative best practice “It’s great to see our big new gear, the technology would help the Carmichael Liebherr R 996B excavator and CAT 796 project to achieve its targets. the project’s economic strength. its final approvals and confirmation its plan dump trucks, hard at work. complied with all regulatory conditions “This is an important project that is “We’re committed to using conventional set by the Australian and Queensland “In time they will reach the coal seam, after supported by the Queensland Government, truck and excavator mining techniques Governments. which we will be excavating coal as we need, has all of its environmental approvals and is across the project,” Mr Boshoff said. to remove around 4m3 of rock for every one of the largest employment-creators in The Carmichael Mine is located in the tonne of coal we mine. regional Queensland,” Mr Naude said. “Our first five mining trucks and excavator North Galilee Basin, more than 300km have arrived on site and are operational and from the Queensland coastline and about “As we move into this next phase of Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg the assembly of our second excavator will 160km north-west of Clermont in regional construction with more heavy machinery Williamson praised Adani for maintaining its commence in the coming weeks. Queensland. operating across the site, the safety of our production timeline and staying true to its people and contractors is my absolute local jobs commitment. “We will also add more than a dozen mining Once construction is complete, the priority.” trucks to our fleet over the coming months. Carmichael Mine will be one of 125 coal “There is no doubt that our expertise in “The trucks will be assembled in Mackay, mines in Australia. In its first stage the mine There are now more than 700 people engineering support for the resources with each taking a team of about 40 men will produce 10mt of coal per annum. working on the mine and rail project sector is second to none in Australia, and and women up to 10 weeks to put together construction and numbers are growing as G&S have always been at the leading edge before they are transported more than The mine is comparable in capacity to more contractors arrive to build the Coal of that expertise,” Cr Williamson said. 300km to site.” existing mines in NSW’s Hunter Valley and Handling Plant and to work on the railway. Queensland’s Bowen Basin. “The expansion of our mine accommodation “This work will boost our regional economy The company’s large equipment, including to 400 beds is complete to cater for the post COVID and is the very reason we have mining excavators, are being assembled Coal will be transported to Abbot Point additional workforce, and we will soon be supported Adani.” on-site. As tall as a six-storey building and Port via a 200km rail line and existing able to accommodate another 1200 people longer than a cricket pitch, the first excavator rail infrastructure, the same way other in our temporary rail accommodation Production was built onsite in eight weeks. Queensland coal mines have done safely villages,” Mr Boshoff said. The Carmichael Mine will produce 10mt of and responsibly for the past 30 years. high-quality thermal coal per annum, which Skilled tradespeople in the central “We remain on track to deliver 1500 direct will be used to generate affordable and Queensland city of Mackay have assembled Mr Boshoff said the Carmichael Mine, and 6750 indirect jobs.” reliable electricity for communities in India the mining trucks, which will be used during through mining taxes and royalties, will and South-East Asia. construction. When the mine is operational, generate billions of dollars for government Contracts each truck will cart up to 320t of coal from in its first 30 years of operation. Adani awarded its largest construction The Project’s low cost profile, such as its 4:1 the pit. contract for the Carmichael Project to date strip ratio, the quality of the resource, and “This money will help to build new schools, to Queensland-based BMD, taking the total forecast demand from its target markets of Construction on the Carmichael Mine hospitals and roads for Queensland,” he value of contracts awarded to over $1b. India and South-East Asia, are a good sign of started in June 2019 after Adani received said. AMR SEP2020 AMR ADANI AUSTRALIA 37 FEATURES

Headricks Lane, a favourite amongst locals, is Affectionately known as the Home of the Rockhampton’s own micro-brewery serving Barramundi, you can catch metre-long locally crafted beers. Barramundi right in the heart of Rockhampton. ECONOMIC HEART OF CENTRAL QUEENSLAND he Rockhampton region is ideally “Already renowned as an industry base, the to call home. Gracemere, it offers a great mix of lifestyle positioned to provide goods and region is gearing up to offer further services with city, suburban, village, residential and services to the resource sector, with to the growing coal sector of Central Affectionately known as the Beef Capital of rural living. a prosperous economy, modern and Queensland,” Mr Sheppard said. Australia, the Rockhampton Region is the Tvibrant lifestyle, high quality services and gateway to the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Affordable housing, with a median house facilities that rival metropolitan areas. “Every mine needs to be serviced with links to the outback in the West and is the price of $262,000, world-class schooling not only operators and employees, but eighth largest urban centre in Queensland. and healthcare, fishing, mountain-biking, Offering supply chain network support, service providers in trades, equipment, four wheel driving, hiking, nature trails and investment in transport and logistics and its technology providers, safety, engineering, Only a short two-hour drive from the Bowen weekend adventures just a short drive away, central location, it’s the ideal resources hub and contractors. and Galilee Basin, workers based in the Rockhampton is the perfect place to call with direct aviation, rail and road networks Rockhampton region can spend more time home for workers in the Bowen and Galilee to Queensland’s largest coal basins. “Rockhampton has built a prosperous with their friends and family, and enjoy Basin. and resilient resources sector - positioned everything it offers. It is the perfect place to Rockhampton Regional Council Economic well to be the central hub for employment grow a family, build a career and lead a full life. Rockhampton is one of the FIFO Hubs of the Development senior executive Graham and services for both the Carmichael Mine Adani Carmichael mine. Sheppard said it was an exciting time for Project and future developments in the Boasting well established facilities the resources sector, and Rockhampton is wider Galilee Basin.” and services, an abundance of growth More information about living in the perfectly placed to service the established opportunity, the mighty Fitzroy River running Rockhampton region can be found at: and soon to be constructed mines in the Not only is Rockhampton an efficient service through the heart of Rockhampton, and www.liverockhampton.com.au Bowen and Galilee Basin. hub, it is an alluring place for mine workers bordering townships of Mount Morgan and AMR

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ALL’SFMG wants to build a 120km railway WELLto connect Eliwana to the existing railAT line at its Solomon ELIWANA mine.

espite the onset of COVID-19, locomotives has been commissioned for measures to protect the health and safety of Business Boost Fortescue Metals Group’s Eliwana Eliwana. staff and contribute to efforts to contain the Businesses across WA and Australia have project in WA’s Pilbara is still set to spread of COVID-19 across the community. benefited from $1b in contracts awarded as start up in December this year, as “The development will utilise the latest part of the Project. Doriginally planned. technology, autonomous trucks and design “The health and safety of the entire Fortescue efficiency, further cementing Fortescue’s family is our highest priority and we take our In line with Fortescue’s commitment to Fortescue, the world’s fourth biggest iron world leading use of innovation across responsibility as a large employer seriously,” supporting local procurement, 82% of ore miner, approved the development of its mining operations,” FMG said in a ASX Ms Gaines said. project expenditure to date has been Eliwana in May 2018, in a bid to boost the company notice. awarded to around 290 WA businesses, with price for its iron ore. “The measures we have introduced ensure a further 9% with vendors across Australia. Other mines operated by FMG in the that Fortescue can continue to operate Eliwana will enable FMG to sustain Pilbara include Cloudbreak and Christmas safely, maintain jobs, sustain our business Ms Gaines said that as a proud WA company, production of its premium West Pilbara Creek which come under the company’s and protect communities. it was pleased to provide opportunities for fines product and provide the company with Chichester hub. local small and medium sized businesses the flexibility to deliver iron ore with an iron “We recognise our role in reliably delivering and in turn drive economic growth and content of 60%. Production iron ore shipments and the flow of taxes employment across the State through the FMG chief executive Elizabeth Gaines said and royalties which contribute to economic focus on local content. Construction has started on the mine and the Pilbara region of WA was home to activity, at this time of critical national need. a necessary railway for carting Eliwana’s three of the world’s four largest iron ore “From the outset, it was Fortescue’s vision high grade iron ore to port for export to producers, which together export 800mtpa “While COVID-19 has brought uncertainty to ensure communities benefit from our customers in Asia. of iron ore. and volatility to global markets, including success and we believe procurement is a the iron ore market, Fortescue’s shipments powerful lever for driving positive social and The project is progressing with the “WA is the largest source of iron ore for continue from Port Hedland as scheduled. economic outcomes,” she said. commencement of tracklaying on the first China, which in 2019, produced a record stage of the 143km railway and installation 996mt of crude steel as it continues its “Our mining, processing and shipping “Importantly, we are proud to support of over half of the structural steel at the ore path of urbanisation and development,” Ms activity remains in line with our guidance for Aboriginal participation in the resources processing facility during the June quarter. Gaines said. FY20 of shipments towards the upper end of sector, with the Eliwana project awarding our guided range of 170–175 mt.” 19 contracts worth a total of $25.5m to The construction workforce is currently at China’s crude steel production rose 8.3% in Aboriginal contractors as part of our peak levels, and earthworks, structural steel 2019 compared to the 2018 year. FMG’s balance sheet is strong with debt pioneering Billion Opportunities program.” erection and process equipment installation facilities structured on low cost, investment are advancing rapidly, with pre-strip mining FMG’s production guidance for the 2020 grade terms and conditions. One of the beneficiaries is Pacific Industrial planned to commence in Q1 FY21. financial year is for its shipments to reach Company in Kwinana, WA, where more than 170m to 175mt. As at December 31, 2019, Fortescue had 2600t of fabricated structural steel is being According to FMG chairman Andrew US$4.3b of liquidity available including manufactured into rail and road bridge Forrest, Eliwana is the next great step into The iron ore company shipped 88.6mt of US$3.3b of cash on hand and US$1b girder modules for Eliwana. the Western hub, enhancing the miner’s its Pilbara product in the six months ended available from the revolving credit facility. profitability and extending mine life. December 2019, which equates to 177mt on PIC Managing Director Marco Mosole said an annualised basis. “While our international and Australian he was pleased to have been awarded this He said the project is expected to generate exploration activities have been suspended significant contract for Eliwana, offering 1900 jobs in its construction phase and Ms Gaines said FMG is deploying innovative in line with local restrictions, our Eliwana employment opportunities for 100 people another 500 jobs on site in its operational technology in its mining operations, and Mine and Rail and Iron Bridge Magnetite including a number of apprentices during phase. it has trained staff to embrace this new major growth projects are progressing,” Ms the fabrication period. technology. Gaines said. WA premier Mr Mark McGowan said with “The road and rail bridge girders are the around 2400 jobs created in construction The company’s autonomous vehicle fleet “We appreciate that the State and Federal biggest and heaviest ever constructed in and operations, Eliwana will create and has travelled 39m km and moved 1.1bt of Governments have acknowledged the WA and with all the steel manufactured and has created significant opportunities for material, she said. importance of the sector’s contribution fabricated in Australia, it has enabled the Western Australian workers. to the economy and have identified the industry to demonstrate the capacity and “Every day our autonomous fleet travels resources sector as providing essential capability that exist here to undertake these The Rail Link a distance equivalent to 3.5 times around services and exempted mining and other sizable projects,” Mr Mosole said. In January 2020, the project took a significant Australia’s highway one, without drivers at resources industries from some of the travel step forward with the WA government the wheel,” Ms Gaines said. restrictions and other guidelines introduced Another company to gain from Eliwana has awarding a special rail licence for the across the country. been engineering contractor Downer EDI, supporting railway. COVID which secured a $450m contract for early Fortescue said the forecasted capital “We are taking every precaution to reduce mining and maintenance services at the site. The licence allows FMG to build and operate investment for Eliwana has now been the likelihood of COVID-19 directly impacting This is the second Eliwana project package the rail project which is needed to transport revised to between $1.325b and $1.375b, our team, their families and the community. for Downer, the first being the bulk Eliwana iron ore to Port Hedland. up from the previous estimate of $1.275b, “Our Incident Management Team is meeting earthworks contract which began in late owing to costs associated with mitigating daily to review our operations and the 2019. The corridor will connect Eliwana to FMG’s access delays and COVID-19 impacts. Government’s advice. existing Kings iron ore mine at its Solomon Under the new agreement, Downer will production hub in the Pilbara. Acceleration measures have been “As the social distancing guidelines have complete early mining operations over two implemented at Eliwana to achieve first ore expanded, we have responded to each years as the mine site is established and The WA government rail license enables the on train in December this year, underpinning additional measure quickly and are regularly then stay on for a further three years to iron ore producer to build and operate the the delivery of Fortescue’s product strategy. communicating with our teams on all provide maintenance services as operations Eliwana rail project for the mine. matters relating to the mining sector, as well transition to Fortescue’s autonomous Since the outbreak the pandemic, FMG has as the importance of physical distancing and mining fleets.AMR A rail fleet of 126 ore wagons and four implemented and expanded a range of stringent hygiene.” SEP2020 AMR ELIWANA PROJECT 39 FEATURES INTERNATIONAL MINING SERVICE

PROVIDERAM GmbH plans, designs and manufactures turn-key equipment for the mining, construction and Fchemicals industries. Its team are skilled in mineral processing and bulk materials handling solutions, mining and stockyard systems, and innovative port technologies. FAM delivers core systems for bulk handling According to FAM Group Business plants in an array of industrial sectors, including mining. Development (Australasia) Peter Laird, the company has, for more than 100 years, incorporated professional sectors, including mining, power generation, consultancy, project management, “Our skilled engineers provide customer- experience, engineering knowledge and metallurgy, construction and port handling. engineering, design, fabrication, oriented consulting services for any high-performance project management commissioning, quality management and materials handling system worldwide,” Mr capabilities in its global solutions. “Our personnel references plants in more assurance, repair, refurbishment and Laird said. than 80 countries worldwide,” Mr Laird said. aftersales services. Headquartered in Magdeburg, Germany, FAM’s portfolio comprises large equipment “We provide recommendations for efficient the FAM Group has a total of 11 subsidiaries and individual machines such as bucket Plant Service Consulting Solutions operation and optimisation of machines in Germany, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Canada, wheel excavators; spreaders and stackers; FAM also successfully plans, designs and and plants to reduce energy, spare parts, Singapore, Hungary, India and Australia, as conveyor bridges on crawlers; full-portal manufactures turn-key equipment for consumables and personnel costs.” well as representations in South Africa and and semi-portal scrapers; reclaimers: extracting, producing, loading and storing the US. bridge-type, bucket wheel or stacker; ship raw materials and minerals. Consulting services are also available to loaders/unloaders; and crushers and mills. increase the availability of preventive “Our solutions are developed to extract, The company combines its experience maintenance solutions and improved produce, load and store bulk materials Material Processing Equipment in series and customised production materials and processes. across a wide range of applications,” Mr and Machines processes, as well as offers a complete Laird said. FAM Group develops bespoke plants for range of manufacturing, engineering and More information can be found at: mining, conveying, processing and handling aftersales support services, including www.fam.de Bulk Materials Handling of minerals, raw materials and goods. consulting; erection; maintenance and AMR The company delivers core systems for bulk repair; modernization; training; and spare handling plants in an array of industrial The scope of its solutions includes parts. 40 ELIWANA PROJECT AMR SEP2020 FEATURES

DHHIThe Reclaimer reclaims material fromDRIVES the stockpile and loads it onto the yard conveyor. ECONOMIC RECOVERY

alian Huarui Heavy Industry (DHHI) Core values of practicality and innovation DHHI’s Roy Hill reclaimer is currently one “Everything is designed to fit in with delivery is one of the companies driving mean DHHI’s machines are fit-for-purpose of the largest capacity reclaimers in the schedules.” Australia’s economic recovery to ensure they do the specific job they are Australian market. from the Coronavirus pandemic, designed for. Mr Li said DHHI has a “great capability” to fast- Dby supplying customised bulk material DHHI also successfully supplied a number track projects due to the “amazing capacity” handling machines for the nation’s biggest They are also a product of lateral thinking as of balanced machines to Australian mining for offsite builds in their workshops. mining projects. designers strive for creative and improved companies. solutions to solve complex challenges that The company has built up a reputation in DHHI has designed and successfully inevitably arise in the mining industry. “Last year DHHI successfully delivered an the mining industry for delivering projects delivered more than a dozen state-of-the- ultrafine iron ore recovery process plant to on time and within budget. art machines to Australia including the Roy DHHI’s next generation Stacker-Reclaimers Roy Hill,” Mr Li said. Hill iron ore mine and port. are known internationally for their superior On a global level it has supplied machines to technical capabilities. “The plant was assembled and tested in 93 countries including the Americas, Japan, The company has full in-house design, China then disassembled into large modules Russia and Italy, and has been involved in procurement and fabrication capabilities The fully automated rail-mounted machines and delivered.” several large-scale projects including for that enable delivery of tailored bulk have different modes of operation including mining heavyweight Vale in Malaysia and material handling machinery for its clients for stacking material, reclaiming material The company has not let COVID-19 prevent Brazil. in Australia and around the globe. from the stockpile and can also be equipped it from delivering machines on time to fit in with a bypass system. with project schedules. DHHI is an international service-oriented The range includes stackers, reclaimers, manufacturing enterprise group with more stacker-reclaimers, bucket wheel reclaimers, A simple change-over from stacking to With a project team in Perth to assist with than 50 years of experience in the design spreaders, ship loaders, ship unloaders, bypassing and vice versa without the commissioning, procurement, fabrication and manufacture of high-end and major container cranes and car dumper systems. suspension of material flow permits and quality control, machines are delivered equipment. continuous operation of upstream to Australian standard. The machines are normally completely processing equipment. The company has one of the longest assembled offsite and then disassembled “DHHI Australia cooperates with local histories, most diverse range of products into large modules weighing up to 300t for Stacking: The Stacker-Reclaimers receive Australian engineers and suppliers to create and most advanced technologies of large shipping and transportation to the doorstep material from the processing plant via an more jobs and opportunities for Australian machine manufacturers in the world. of Australian mine sites. overland conveyor and stacks the material companies, especially during such complex to build the stockpile. times,” Mr Li said. It has five research and manufacture DHHI Project Manager Chengbin Li said the facilities covering an area of 2.5m sqkm. full off-site assembly and testing of machines Bypass Model: Material from the overland “DHHI has managed to keep everything on reduced installation costs and installation conveyor is bypassed through the machine track with delivery time to projects has been DHHI also provides customised machinery time at the Australian installation site. directly to the train load out station to avoid successful in keeping the impact of COVID for mining, port, energy, metallurgy, “double handling”. 19 to a minimum. chemical, traffic, ship building, engineering, ‘‘A critical parameter of these projects is the space industries, as well as coke oven and lead time which is tight,” Mr Li said. Reclaiming: The machine reclaims material “Even during the outbreak period, we still lifting machinery. from the stockpile onto the yard conveyor, did not stop our work on our Australian “The machines are tested to the maximum which transports the material to the train projects. The company is fully committed to high possible extent offsite to reduce costs loading station. efficiency, energy saving and environmental associated with labour, accommodation “We used very limited labour resources and protection and safety. AMR and travel time, which delivers a large cost Normally this is done in combination with pushed ahead with the manufacture and benefit to these projects. the bypass operation of the machine, but off-site erection work. it can also work as a stand-alone function “The major focus is to reduce the during process plant shutdowns. installation time which is always critical in an infrastructure build. DHHI’s Stacker-Reclaimers are widely used in mines, metallurgical plants, electrical Another opportunity to reduce power plants, coal and chemical industries. infrastructure costs is the use of a combine stacker-reclaimer, which is widely used by Mr Li said the company had enjoyed several the international mining industry. successful partnerships with Australian companies to power some of the nation’s “The stacker-reclaimers come with a lower biggest mining projects. infrastructure cost because it is just one machine instead of two or three machines,” It was also testament to a successful co- Mr Li said. operation between DHHI and Perth-based Montan Engineering. Maintenance, operation, loading and transport simulations ensure the machines’ “We delivered balanced machines to Roy Hill placement at mine sites is smooth sailing. in 2014 and 2015 and until now all of them have been operating very well,” Mr Li said. A DHHI radial stacker. SEP2020 AMR ELIWANA PROJECT 41 FEATURES

BULK MATERIAL MACHINERY EXPERTS

大连华锐重工集团股份有限公司 我们的标志 DALIAN HUARUI HEAVY INDUSTRY GROUP CO.,LTD. 33 34 VI 设计基础部分

State-of-the-art bulk material handling machines to power For more information, please contact: Australia’s biggest mining projects. [email protected] 企业全称中文 企业简称中文 • Stackers • Reclaimers • Stacker-Reclaimers [email protected] • Ship loaders • Spreaders • Car Dumper Systems

Innovative fit-for-purpose solutions In-house 3D design capability Delivered to Australian standard WWW.DHHI.COM.CN

企业全称英文

标志单色使用规范／单色反白 标志标准彩色图形 标志标准黑白图形

印刷用中文专用字体 印刷用中文专用字体 标志标准制作网格图 标志使用不可入侵范围

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 a 1/3a 1/3a

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10a 1/3a 1/3a

标志标准制作规范

0.9a 0.35a 45˚

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0.35a 0.7a 2.5a

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a 1.6a a 0.5a a 1.5a a 0.5a a 1.5a a 0.5a a

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12.9a 42 BHP SOUTH FLANK AMR SEP2020 FEATURES

South Flank road convoys travelling at night.

HISTORYHP’s South Flank mine in WA is ONLocal Pilbara businessesTHE have played HIGHWAYS their They are being fitted with the belts that based businesses have the opportunity to making history – and not just part in both planning and execution. will form the mine’s main arteries, set to benefit from South Flank. because it will be the industry’s carry 80mt of ore a year to the coarse ore largest iron ore hub. Traffic management specialists Low Flying stockpile, inside the rail loop. “Last year, we awarded a $7.3m contract to B Pilots control the convoys, progressively Njamal People and Pilbara Resources Group The project is using modular construction closing sections of the Great Northern Here, more modules have been bolted for dust suppression. techniques to speed up the build of its Highway for up to an hour as the convoy together to form the ore handling plant, 145mt per year ore processing hub, and passes. including the secondary crushing and “Our contractors are clear on our the modules are some of the biggest ever rescreening plants, which rise 30m above expectations of subcontracting to local delivered into the Pilbara. BHP has used another Hedland business, the stockyards they will feed. suppliers, and initiatives like our Local coffee truck Pilbara Flavours, to provide free Buying Program make it possible for the Around 1500 units of all shapes and sizes, hot drinks and food for road users. At the eastern end of the loop, the 60m boom smaller businesses to participate. totalling 35,000t, are arriving into Port arm of Stacker ST4, built in WA and delivered Hedland. “It’s been well-received, and I think it shows to site in January, has been positioned on its “It’s pretty exciting. We’re creating something that BHP is not just concerned about the rail sled, ready for electrical fit-out. big. South Flank will be the largest iron ore But with many up to 15m wide, and the welfare of our team, but also the welfare of mining and processing facility built in more largest weighing 354t, getting the modules the wider community,” Mr Antony said. Quick Recap than 50 years of iron ore mining in the 350km from Port Hedland to South Flank is Set to be one of the world’s largest iron ore Pilbara. a highly complex road transport job. With ore already being hauled and hubs, the South Flank project is heading for stockpiled, the mine’s massive primary first ore in 2021, replacing production from “We’re also integrating the latest advances Two years of planning is helping this epic crushers are now being slotted into the the 80mt a year Yandi mine near Newman. in autonomous-ready fleets, digital logistics exercise run smoothly. cliff-like walls of the two run-of-mine (ROM) connectivity and modular design. pads. Local businesses are mobilising to site as The modules are assembled into convoys construction ramps up. Located about “We see South Flank as an opportunity on heavy-lift sleds at Boodarie by transport Modular design is speeding up and 130km north-west of Newman, the South to accelerate an inclusive and diverse specialist Mammoet. simplifying assembly, but these are some Flank deposit itself is vast – 26km long, and workforce, and it goes beyond gender. of South Flank’s largest and heaviest requiring significant mining infrastructure They travel to site at 40km per hour, and components. and operations. “We want a workforce mix at South Flank that anything more than 8.5m wide has to move is more representative of the communities at night, which brings unique challenges. It takes the site’s biggest crane to ease each South Flank Project Director Simon Thomas in which we live.” 340t ROM bin into position, completing the said the project means hundreds of local BHP Port Logistics Superintendent Mick first link in the ore processing chain. jobs and billions of dollars flowing into the South Flank will create about 2500 jobs Antony said BHP was working hard to WA economy. during construction and about 600 ongoing minimise its impacts on other road users. Stretching away from each crusher across operational roles. the undulating Pilbara landscape, high-tech “We’ve committed more than $2.1b in “We let 180 stakeholders know the details overland conveyors pop against the red contract awards so far, with 80% of work The mine is expected to produce ore for of each convoy in advance, and work dirt, thanks to their 24,000 bright yellow committed for completion in WA – more more than 25 years. AMR closely with local police, transport, fire and composite rollers. than half of which will be Pilbara-based,” emergency services to smooth the way for Simon said. both regular and emergency road users, day Designed and built in WA, the conveyors and night,” he said. total more than 26km. “We’re deliberate about making sure Pilbara-

The modules are assembled into convoys on About 26km of overland conveyors are being heavy-lift sleds by transport specialist Mammoet. built at South Flank. SEP2020 AMR BHP SOUTH FLANK 43 FEATURES DUST SUPPRESSION

LEADERSnviroMist supplies four dust suppression systems for the BHP South Flank run-of-mill (ROM) dump stations and coarse ore stockpiles E(COS). The EnviroMist multi-nozzle spray bar. Its proven dust suppression technology utilises very high pressures to deliver specified water droplet sizes in the correct place, and volume to reduce dust levels to environmentally acceptable levels using water only as a dust suppressant.

The resulting system delivers unsurpassed dust suppression capabilities for large spaces and other difficult to contain areas.

EnviroMist has developed its system in conjunction with the International Solids Handling Research Institute in order to understand the water droplet particle size distribution, spread and characteristics which have led to the creation of world- leading dust suppression technology. Simulations showing induced airflow from a The research developed Computational with droplets sized similar to the dust EnviroMist nozzles are manufactured using rotary car dumper (left) and truck dump (right). Fluid Dynamic (CFD) models to understand liberated from iron ore material streams the latest in machining technology and have droplet dispersal and reactions to external because research has proven that matching never broken in operation. pressure pumps and systems, and has influences such as air cross flows. Oncea the droplet size to the dust particle size developed an international reputation for research base was established, EnviroMist significantly increases the chance of EnviroMist dust suppression technology innovation, quality and reliability. developed spray nozzle systems to deliver capturing dust when compared to larger is currently being used in surface mining, the water in a form which efficiently reduces droplets. underground mining, drill and blast Its primary focus is on developing customer- dust. operations, transfer chutes, materials specific solutions for using high-pressure An added advantage of smaller droplets is processing plants and ship unloading water in diverse applications and industries. In order to fully cover a large ROM bin or that the number of droplets can be increased operations. The integrated high-pressure pump systems COS in an efficient and reliable manner, the significantly whilst using significantly less are extremely specialised and varied system requires the best available pumping water than low pressure, large droplet Systems are individually designed for each and are available in a range of different technology, and thus Hammelmann systems. task with 3D models produced to ensure performances. Australia was chosen as a partner for these the system is compatible with the existing systems. EnviroMist systems produce a large cloud equipment and to ensure clients understand They are used in all mining applications, of droplets, significantly increasing the the design prior to manufacture. including coal, iron ore, alumina, nickel, Hammelmann Australia’s water filtering and chance of droplets coming into contact with uranium, chemical and petrochemical pressure boosting equipment is utilised to airborne dust particles. Testing on installed The company has numerous spray bar industries. ensure that clean water reaches the sprays systems has shown water reductions of over designs and is always developing new nozzles at the required output pressure. 50% when compared to low pressure dust designs to improve the output or to meet Hammelmann’s ongoing commitment suppression systems. specific space, material or site requirements. to high quality standards and on-going EnviroMist is a customer-focused business, investment in state-of-the-art manufacturing In the ROM bins, the power behind the meeting all reasonable client requirements, ensures EnviroMist continues to offer quality water results in a pressure curtain which and has supplied several emergency premium products “made in Germany, is too great for the air displaced from truck systems to meet short term, high priority assembled in Australia”. dumping operations to penetrate, thus customer requirements. capturing the dust within the dump pocket Hammelmann Australia is proud to be unlike low pressure dust fogging systems. Hammelmann Australia chosen to partner with EnviroMist in the For 70 years, Hammelmann has been the South Flank Project. AMR The captured air is contained for sufficient market leader in manufacturing high- Dust concentration measured with and time to ensure all the dust liberated from without the dust suppression system the ore has been suppressed. operating. The COS systems are designed to The BHP South Flank dust suppression encapsulate the falling material stream systems consist of an automatic within a high pressure curtain of dust backflushing pre-filter, a water tank which droplets which penetrate the falling material is used as both a buffer and a means of stream as it separates, thus reducing dust stopping air entering the pumps, a priming liberation from surface turbulence, cross pump to give sufficient back pressure for winds or when the material comes into the main pump, a secondary filter to remove contact with the stockpile. any debris picked up from the tank, and a Hammelmann high pressure pump to One main maintenance advantage of the deliver clean, debris free water. EnviroMist system is that nozzles rarely block and the high-quality components last EnviroMist systems are individually for years. EnviroMist only uses certified designed to deliver the required pressures stainless steel in its spray blocks and nozzles, to the nozzles for suppressing dust from with the nozzle material selected for greater mining operations. wear life. Experience with installed systems has shown that a correctly filtered system The systems developed for the BHP South will result in nozzles that last for years Flank project are designed to deliver water without needing replacement. Hammelmann Australia pressure booster units. 44 BHP SOUTH FLANK AMR SEP2020 FEATURES

We provide large scale dust suppression applications in iron ore and coal underground and above ground operations, with immediate and significant dust level reduction around material handling areas. Our systems ensure maximum dust capture effectiveness through the control of droplet size, velocity, water consumption and spray angle based on CFD modelling techniques.

▪ Stockpiles & ROM Bins ▪ Crushers & Conveyors ▪ Mining Machinery ▪ Ship Loaders & Unloaders ▪ Transfer Points & Chutes ▪ Construction Machinery

|www.enviro-mist.com.au |[email protected] |07 3855 2122

|www.hammelmann.com.au |[email protected] |1300 816 483 SEP2020 AMR COMPANIES GEARING UP 45 INDUSTRY FOCUS PROTECTION AGAINST

SILICAhe WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety has found that higher rates of respirable crystalline silica exceedances occur at sites that Tcrush and/or handle ores with higher quartz content, including construction sands, silica- sand quarries and base metal operations.

In Australia, the workplace exposure standard has been halved from an eight- hour time-weighted average airborne concentration of 0.1mg/m3 to 0.05 mg/m3.

WorkSafe Victoria has gone above the national standard and recommends that employees are not exposed to levels above 0.02mg/m3 as a TWA.

Dangers of Silica Dust Respirable crystalline silica can cause lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and kidney disease.

Silica dust is harmful when inhaled into your lungs as it is 100 times smaller than a grain of sand; you can be breathing it in without knowing. CleanSpace respirators meet and exceed Queensland’s new minimum requirements, removing 99.95% of airborne contaminants. Silica is one of the most abundant minerals found in the earth’s crust and is used in many products across a variety of industries The clear silicon mask allows for easy and workplaces. communication, and they are operated using a simple one-button smart system. Crystalline silica is most dangerous to health when dust is generated, becomes airborne These features combined mean workers are and is then inhaled by a worker. more likely to wear them for a full shift.

While there are many industrial activities Compared to disposable masks, CleanSpace where people are exposed to respirable Respirators offer more protection and are crystalline silica, the most notable are more economical as the cost of replacing stonemasonry, mining, excavation, disposables stacks up. construction, tunnelling and abrasive blasting. Disposable masks are well-known for causing fogging and discomfort, leading to Preventing Exposure low compliance. There are several areas that are to be addressed to effectively reduce exposure to Four Models to Choose From silica dust. CleanSpace Respirators have four models depending on the requirements of the These are wet cutting, ventilation and other industry. CleanSpace EX is intrinsically safe, engineering controls, isolation, substitution, so that it can be worn in potentially explosive health monitoring, and respiratory environments such as mining. CleanSpace Technology’s CS2, ULTRA and protective equipment. EX respirators. CleanSpace Ultra is IP rated 66, making it With regards to respiratory protection, water-tolerant, perfect for stonemasons Powered Air Purifying Systems (PAPRs) with carrying our wet-cutting. at least a P2 filter are the new benchmark across most industries. CleanSpace 2 can be used in a variety of industrial applications where water CleanSpace Respirators meet and exceed tolerance or intrinsic safety is not required. these minimum requirements offering a P3 filter that removes 99.95% of airborne CleanSpace HALO is designed specifically contaminants. for the healthcare, pharmaceutical and laboratory sectors. CleanSpace Respirators Benefits CleanSpace Respirators are a revolution in In Summary the area of respiratory protection because CleanSpace Technology, an Australian while they provide all the protection of a company based in Sydney, assists in PAPR, they are free from belts, battery packs product training, fit testing and instructions and hoses. on maintenance and care with attentive customer support. Even when used in hot and humid conditions, CleanSpace Respirators provide cool, clean More information on CleanSpace air to the user and eliminate fogging and Respirators can be found at: moisture. They are also light, easy to put on, www.cleanspacetechnology.com reliably safe and comfortable. AMR The CleanSpace EX respirator. 46 COMPANIES GEARING UP AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS TRASH PUMPS AUSSIE BUILT, AUSSIE SMART umps play a massive role in the mining industry. They are one of those indispensable aids, as important as dump trucks, face Pshovels and blast hole drill rigs! Without dewatering pumps and the work done in the industrial revolution on the design of pumps, the world’s current development could never have happened.

Diesel engine drive pumps designed to keep mines dry and safe are not new. Dry prime pumps from companies like Pioneer, Sykes and Cornell have played a major role in the industry and will continue to do so.

However, those pump designs with their essential priming devices, have their vulnerabilities. Vacuum or compressor assist adds an extra dimension of potential for breakdown, particularly with corrosive or silty water.

Australian Pump Industries has focused on that other essential area of mine dewatering, with reliable, first world self-priming trash The Aussie Trash Pump story starts with pumps. commercial grade products that evolve into the Aussie Mine Boss Series. Again, the concept isn’t new. Aussie Pumps has taken conventional trash pumps one There is no attachment required to actually to other portable pump configurations. “We wanted a little bit of reserve step further refining design and equipment, prime the pump. It’s all there in that very “They asked for more flow, more head and horsepower and we also wanted to have that is particularly suited to Australia’s simple process. Maybe Archimedes came of course, more horsepower!” Mr Hales said. that extra “grunt” in the event of the pump essential mining industry. across this 2000 years ago. Can you imagine being operated at low head i.e. where the him drinking wine through a straw! The result was the development of 6” trash maximum horsepower draw is found,” he Aussie Pump’s Chief Engineer, John Hales, pumps capable of passing up to 4500lpm. said. said the company listened to mining people The other major difference to standard self That’s a lot of dirty water! and saw that many applications where dry priming pumps and trash pumps is the big The pump was designed with a huge cast prime pumps were used didn’t actually front opening port. “Being able to open The other factor of the 6” pump was its iron body with a gigantic integrated priming require automatic repriming devices. “Quite the pump’s body in the event of a choke ability to pass up to 3” solids. Of course, tank built in. The illustration on this page the contrary, all they needed to do was move of any kind means the bowl can be cleared those solids need to be spherical and shows just how big that tank is and why dirty water, something a trash pump is far of debris in a matter of minutes or even capable of fitting through the impeller and the pump primes so well even through a 6” more capable of doing both more efficiently seconds”, said Hales. body water passages. suction line. and reliably,” he said. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE MINE BOSS The initial pumps developed were designed “Opening the big front port is a piece of SO, WHAT IS A TRASH PUMP? to self-prime to a vertical lift of 7.6m with a cake,” Mr Hales said. “We made it easy but When Australian Pump introduced the first maximum head of around 35m. Maximum we also built in not only a drainage plug in When Aussie first started packaging 2” 2” 3” and then 4” portable diesel drive trash flow was designed in at 4000lpm and Mr the bottom of the sump of the pump but and 3” trash pumps to mining companies, pumps in its Mine Boss configuration, the Hales calculated that could all be driven by also toggles to open up that port for the they were confining their activities to small industry immediately accepted the concept. around a 20HP diesel engine. Ultimately, he convenience of the operator, just in case it compact diesel drive pumps, equipped The idea of being able to move dirty water selected a Kubota D1105 24.8 hp diesel to was required to just clean out silt from the specifically to suit construction applications. fast, with a highly portable pump that can drive the pump. bottom of the pump bowl.” Aussie Pumps added super heavy duty hot be carried on the back of a ute, was a huge dipped galvanised frames, fire extinguishers, success. E-Stop and battery isolation for the mining environment. The heavy duty frame, with an integrated lifting bar, meant that the pump could be Those smaller pumps had their limitations. moved around the site by whatever available Essentially, a trash pump is a purpose built means was there. self-priming pump, designed with a big non clog style open vane impeller. That open Slinging the frame through the lift bar vane impeller should be capable of passing and hooking it up to the bucket of a front spherical solids around 50% of the inlet port end loader, excavator or truck mounted dimensions. Thus, a 2” pump is designed for crane meant the pumps could be moved passing 1” solids, 3” pump 1.1/2” solids and fast on site to suit the convenience of the so on. supervisor!

The ability to prime is also a big factor. “We knew that these pumps weren’t going The Aussie self-priming trash pumps to be handled gently on site!” Mr Hales said. are designed with a large priming tank “Having seen the effects of our standard incorporated in the body. On the suction pump range being used in quarry and mine inlet there is a check valve that stops the applications demonstrated to us clearly water in the pump body from escaping. that the frame needed to be robust enough Here’s how it works: for the machine to be dropped without damage or impairment of its operational 1. The operator fills the pump body with capabilities.” water, with the liquid being trapped inside the body by the check valve. THE NEED FOR FLOW: HERE COME THE 6” ‘TRASHIES’ 2. The operator starts the engine and the water in the body is expelled through With the acceptance of the concept of the delivery port. purpose-built mining trash pumps, Aussie Pumps then started to receive consistent 3. The vacuum created opens the check enquiries for bigger pumps to replace dry valve, located inside the suction port, prime pumps on site. and the water is drawn up through a suction hose like drinking Coca-Cola Site supervisors could see the simplicity, low Aussie’s Quik Prime trash pumps feature through a straw. relative cost and service advantages of the a front cleanout port that saves a lot of Aussie self-priming trash pump compared maintenance costs. SEP2020 AMR COMPANIES GEARING UP 47 INDUSTRY FOCUS

John Hales with five big Aussie 6” trash Enter the Mine Boss: a 4” trash pump that’s pumps ready for shipment. ready for anything!

The whole unit was encapsulated on a we did need to put a 80HP engine behind it Aussie Pumps both inside and out where the Thus, the company provides the standard heavy-duty sled style skid capable of being to get there.” application is either particularly corrosive or product range with up to 6” QP60TD with a dragged around, and the water-cooled abrasive. genuine five-year guarantee. engine was provided with a 60l fuel tank. The pump’s maximum head is 46m, giving it a lot more versatility than the smaller “The glass coated feature provides a “The QP600TD comes with a three-year “That 60l fuel tank provides 10 hours of version. The big MQ600TD comes both skid resistance that was far better than we ever warranty and the new 8” pump will also be operating time, one complete shift!” Mr and trailer mounted. expected,” Mr Hales said. backed with that same guarantee. That is a Hales said. protection program that nobody else offers In both versions, it has a 152 litre fuel tank 8” PUMPS ON THE WAY but Aussie can and will continue to do. It The company designed the big open impeller again, permitting operation without fuelling is a simple way of saying we understand to be dynamically and statically balanced for for 11 hours of continuous run. The machine Aussie Pumps is constantly monitoring quality,” Mr Hales said. long trouble free life and manufactured it comes with integrated lifting bar on a super performance of the product in the field and from high SG cast iron. The volute as well heavy duty skid, which can be configured hungry for customer feedback. “It‘s from LOOKING TO THE FUTURE is wear-resistant and made from the same into a robust site trailer for easy movement the market we get our inspiration,“ Mr Hales material. where required. said. As the concept of self-priming centrifugal pumps, their reliability, simplicity and Best of all for users, the pump was capable “It seems like an awful lot of pump for the Spare parts enquiries result in an efficiencies becomes better known, the of producing 1500lpm at a head of 25m. money, but all of this capacity including the “interrogation” as the customers are quizzed company is confident there will be a much That is a duty point where many operators, big 80HP diesel weighs in at just under a on the condition of worn parts, the details of broader application right throughout the pulling water out of the pit or sump would tonne,” Mr Hales said. the application and any data on the routine mining and construction markets. have a requirement. maintenance support carried out on site. The company listened to the market and Aussie Pump now offers big cast iron motor The flow translates to a whopping 90,000l per designed in a number of other features that “Our parts department is passionate pumps up to 4” versions in 316 stainless hour, a lot of water, in anybody’s language! are ideal for the mining industry. in providing valuable information for steel and even nickel/aluminium/bronze. Called the Aussie QP60TD, it weighed in at developing new ideas and improvements. Those pumps will self-prime and are being only 680kg, including engine and skid so the Apart from the ability to pass 3” solids, the It’s information that leads to innovation,” Mr used in the mining industry all over the pump could be easily transported on site pump offers all of the features of the earlier Hales said. country. from any available vehicle with that capacity! models including a huge front opening port that enables it to be cleared out quickly in “Out of that constant customer feedback, Drill rig manufacturers love the hydraulic GO BIG, GO BIGGER the event of a choke. we’ve seen customers wanting to swap from drive versions. Tanker operators are using dry prime pumps to wet prime trash pumps them because of their heavy-duty reliable Having achieved a swing in that apparent The company selected a Deutz air-cooled in our range, some with more capacity. construction and the 316 stainless steel market requirement, the company then four-cylinder engine that comes complete pumps are finding application wherever found that there was a market for an even with LOFA620 controller. Low oil pressure, An 8” super heavy duty Aussie trash pump corrosive liquids are a problem. bigger 6” trash pump. high oil temperature and V-Belt failure is on the way in terms of calculations of shutdown are all incorporated in the control performance. That 8” pump will deliver a “It is really only just the beginning,” Mr Hales Aussie found that the concept of a 6” kit. whopping 9000lpm, that is 540,000l per said. “We keep providing better products to pump was highly desirable. The hoses are hour!” he said. the mining industry, based on the feedback capable of being handled and the concept The pump is fitted with an oil-lubricated we get. Without that constant flow of of a wet prime pump doing such high flows tungsten titanium carbide seal as standard The company knows there are some big information on application conditions, we at a relatively low acquisition cost was quite equipment providing long trouble-free life. jobs out there and a constant demand for would never be able to develop the products significant. A shock mounted control panel in a water- more reliability, less dependence on dry we do,” he said. resistant housing includes an hour-meter, prime and more need for big, simple, robust “The market demanded a bigger 6” pump. ammeter, tachometer and alternator failure pumps that just deliver loads of dirty water AUSSIE SUCCESS STORY More flow, more head and of course light. and present very little in the way of service consequently, more horsepower!” Mr Hales issues. These pumps are now being found in said. The result was Aussie’s big MQ600TD. “One little feature we thought was a good applications all over Australia, Papua New This whopping big cast iron self-priming idea was an outlet elbow that, by virtue of That 8” pump will be launched on the market Guinea, Nauru, South Korea and even Iraq. housing has all of the features of the smaller the flanged top mounted discharge port, before the end of this year with the capacity Yes, Aussie pumps are out there everywhere 6” pump but produces a maximum flow of can be adjusted to any angle convenient for to handle solids and slurries. The seals are in the market as customers realise simple is 6000lpm. the operator,” Mr Hales said. “It may seem silicon carbide with the option of Tungsten good! like a small feature but for convenience on and Viton elastomer combinations. Even more importantly, the design permits site, can be a very handy feature.” Further information can be found in the a maximum head of 46m as well as self- EXTENDED WARRANTY latest edition of Pump Smart, Aussie Pumps’ priming through a vertical lift of 7.6m. The Mine Spec version includes emergency indispensable catalogue. stop and a muffler protection cage. It also “When we realised how simple the products The increased capacity pump, at 30m head, comes with a fire extinguisher and operating were in design and the reliability they gave The 6th edition of this great document delivers more than double the flow of the warning light and battery isolation as to site operators, we understood it was shows the complete range of self-priming original pump, with a performance that is standard equipment. possible for us to actually extend normal centrifugal pumps, with performance data, quite astonishing in a self-priming design. warranties of one year out substantially handy hints for application selection and a “Yes, we got 3000 lpm at almost 35m head. That pump has found a home in some of the longer,” Mr Hales said. price guide. That’s 180,000l an hour,” Mr Hales said. harshest mining applications in the country where they continue to do great service day “Other companies may charge more for For further info contact Australian Pump “When people saw those figures, they were in day out. extended warranties but at Aussie Pumps, Industries or Aussie Pump distributors astonished that we could get that much they are free.” throughout Australia. AMR dirty water through a pump in that time but, Some pumps have been glass coated by 48 COMPANIES GEARING UP AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS

MEMO - Hi Joe Environmentally friendly company with ISO accreditations say they can provide the best product, save us money and reduce our carbon foot- print. - And they are Australian ECOWIPES It's a no brainer!! Another World of E'Co initiative The Best Tool in the Box

ecowipes.com.au Why do mining, oil, gas and so many more industries prefer ECOWIPES?

We help you reduce your Carbon Footprint and help save Climate Change. E'Co Recycles 99.99 % of all textiles collected in Australia. Zero Landfill * E'Co are the only company in Australia supplying Wipers to ISO 9001 & 14001 Accredited Management Standards. Ecowipes are produced by humans and all buttons, zips, pins and foreign bodies are removed. We guarantee all wipers are Metal Detected Ecowipes offer huge stocks and a variety of grades E'Co also E'Co is the Manufacturer and has supplied some of the World's most Iconic recycles companies / brands for over 40 years. Workwear and Eco are the only company in Australia to take back and recycle your used Safety Boots. wipers providing you a truly "closed loop" system. * Let us recycle Same day despatch meeting customers logistic requirements yours. Order 1 Block or we can export containers to your overseas locations Besides being truly dedicated to the environment and recycling, we share some of our profits looking after our Aussie Battlers in our own back yard with our Eco Pay it Forward initiate.

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Joe, Contact us on: please make sure E'Co are on our Preferred Suppliers list for Environmental and Recycling Products 08 9302 3456 and Services - They will help us make the changes we need. [email protected] SEP2020 AMR COMPANIES GEARING UP 49 INDUSTRY FOCUS BREATHE EASY

WITHust suppression on CPCmine sites is paramount as the prevalence of dust impacts mining operations, and worker health and safety in a Dsignificant way.

The continued inhalation of fine dust can Skirt maintenance is performed from the damage lungs and airways as well as cause outside with no need to work in a confined irritation to eyes and skin, while prolonged space. The liners can now be adjusted from the exposure has the potential to cause serious outside accurately and effortlessly, ensuring maintenance will get done. and long-term illnesses.

Dust also impacts operational activities CPC’s General Manager, Operations, Graham Skirt unit, we identified that we had reduced CPC prides itself in being agile in meeting by way of increased costs, lowered Warner, says the TSS is a fully adjustable, a lot of the fine particulate build up coming customer requirements, as well as its client- productivity, efficiency and safety, as well removable and safer conveyor skirt system out of that skirt area as well as some of the focused approach to delivering performance as increased downtime through shutdowns, that can be retrofitted, with change out in larger rock,” Mr Warner said. outcomes. cleaning, maintenance and repairs due to minutes rather than hours. contamination. “This has helped in improving maintenance With fully-equipped and modern fabrication “Manual handling is significantly reduced strategies, reduced the belt wear and and maintenance workshops strategically Sources of dust at mine sites include and the requirement for confined space minimised dust emissions and spillage.” located all around WA, CPC is accessible to all sorts of operational activities such entry is completely eliminated,” he said. all mining companies and mine sites. as drilling, blasting, excavating, loading, An on-site technician where the TSS was tipping, transporting, conveying, crushing “The adjustable skirts allow us to match the installed said his company used to clean up CPC’s TSS was a finalist in the 2019 WA and screening. profile of the belt, which allows us to reduce under the conveyor belt multiple times a Innovator of the Year program’s Emerging the amount of wear in the skirt line, and in week prior to the TSS being installed. Innovation category. CPC Engineering (CPC) has addressed the turn reduce the amount of spillage that we issue of dust emissions from conveyor were seeing through the side of the skirts.” “If we didn’t clean up, the build-up of dust The program, an initiative of the WA systems by creating the innovative Trac Skirt and dirt underneath the belt became Government’s New Industries Fund, System (TSS). CPC’s TSS is an innovative conveyor skirt unmanageable,” he said. showcases innovative and entrepreneurial maintenance system that also provides a individuals, businesses and creative minds. Belt conveyors are the most common light, flexible and effective seal to contain “After it was installed, we were able to go AMR means of materials handling on mine sites, dust and small particles. without cleaning underneath the conveyor with material, spillage and dust continually belt for 13 weeks, which is a massive discharged from load areas. “Using the sealing arrangement for the Trac improvement.”

DUST – A DIRTY WORD IN MINING

Dust suppression is a challenge for every mine and dust exposure is a risk for every mine worker. Minimise dust emissions from your conveyor system with CPC’s Trac Skirt System (TSS)

1. Minimise dust – with the ability to adjust and maintain BEFORE AFTER skirt liners from the outside, and the use of a small, lightweight seal. 2. Prevent excessive skirt wear on the conveyor – as the liners can now be managed, the seal thickness and exposure to the belt can be minimised, decreasing the boil point. 3. Reduce downtime and extend asset life – less dust and spillage means less cleaning is required. 4. Retrofit options – Site dust sealing options can be simply retrofitted to the TSS on request.

For more information, contact CPC at: +61 (8) 9365 0300 [email protected] www.cpcengineering.com.au 50 INDUSTRY FOCUS AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS DROPPED OBJECT SAFETY

WE PROVIDE FULLY CUSTOMISED SERVICES FOR: Oil and Gas | Offshore Platforms | Mining and Processing BLH Safety Solutions™ Energy and Infrastructure | Transport and Storage Pioneers in Dropped Object Prevention developing Our unique and innovative designs include: new and innovative ways • Barricading on platforms, stairways, • Non heat conductive stair risers, scaffolding and many more • Lightweight to protect workers around applications • Minimal wind loading the globe from the hazard • Snap lock and clip on design requires no • No sharp edges of dropped objects for bolts or additional fasteners • No pinch points or catch points • Recyclable polymers • Reusable more than a decade. BLH • Corrosion resistant in saline • Suits permanent or temporary StopDrop™ SAFETY environments installations BARRICADING SYSTEM • Fire resistant • Easy to remove and store • Impact resistant • Accommodates multiple hand railing is specifically designed to • Chemical resistant configurations minimise the risk of Dropped • UV stabilised • Fast, easy and inexpensive to install Objects from work areas such • Cat 5 Cyclonic wind rated as platforms, scaffolding, walkways and stairways.

0419 592 868 [email protected] www.blhsafetysolutions.com

52 ENGINEERING IN MINING AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS COST SAVINGS FROM RUBBER TORSION BASES Leverlink Managing Director RICHARD SHARP

everlink managing director Richard Sharp concludes his two-part feature on the history and use of the rubber Ltorsion spring motor base. Tensioning Device In the early 1990s, the majority of vibrating screen drives rarely exceeded 30kW.

However, once the market demanded larger motor bases for bigger screens and feeders with drives requiring motors 37kW and larger, improved mechanical adjustment was required.

Previously, this was achieved with open type mechanical devices and, while relatively inexpensive, they were prone to seizure and premature failure.

The designs of fully enclosed and lubricated mechanical tensioning devices were then developed.

These had the benefit of being able to purge old grease and lubricants at regular intervals For one client, the Verti-lift motor base was able to cut operation and labour time by more than half. and remain failure-free.

The late 1990s saw a greater emphasis placed on pump and crusher drives ranging up to 630kW.

Many requests from mine sites were based on safety issues, particularly with the larger overhead drives that were all mounted on conventional jacking screws.

Mechanical In addition, the mechanical problems should not be overlooked. These are due to design and/or corrosion in most cases.

The results of corrosion can include an inability to make the drive and driven shafts parallel, the inability to face drive and driven pulley and the inability to achieve and maintain the correct drive belt tension as per the belt manufacturer’s specifications.

Cost In today’s market, labour is the single largest cost. Almost without exception companies strive for efficiencies and cost reductions.

So, why do some end users continue with archaic technology when there are cost effective designs available that can reduce labour costs by up to 90 per cent?

Motor bases can be rebuilt and refurbished. This may extend their service life to 30 years or more. Many mine sites recognise the cost benefits.

Case Study Leverlink had a mining client who accepted as normal practice that it took a full eight hours and four men plus a crane to change out a set of vee-belts on a large pump drive. All of their pumps were conventionally parallel and that the drive and driven pulleys mounted on jacking bolts. were faced.

Leverlink designed a Verti-lift motor base to Unless the motor was removed or perhaps fit the existing pump base frame, used the new pulleys fitted, they would remain so at existing vee-belts, and recommended a new each and every belt change-out. The cost guard that could be removed by two men savings were undeniable. without the use of a crane. Two men in two hours now did what took Windows were included in the guard at belt four men, eight hours plus a crane. The mid-span for checking belt tension when payback period was well within the client’s checking or re-tensioning. financial model.

The initial design included details such as The client went on to install about 30 Rebuilding a motorbase can extend its service ensuring the drive and drive shafts were additional pump motor bases. AMR life by 30 years. SEP2020 AMR DRILLING SERVICES 53 INDUSTRY FOCUS TRIED, PROVEN, TRUSTED

More information on AUD can be found at: www.audrilling.com.au

ustralian Underground Drillers Dacian Gold, and have completed work for been designed by drillers for drillers,” he that they are equipped with appropriate (AUD) has been providing specialist many other clients with operations based said. skills and knowledge to achieve the desired underground diamond drilling in WA,” AUD managing director Geoff Muir culture and more importantly, the right services to WA mines for the past said. “Our highly skilled and loyal workforce is attitude for success,” Mr Muir said. 10A years. respected in the industry by their peers. And “Our clients are at the heart of everything we aim to provide a service that’s geologist “The results of this focus have seen The company is contracted across a large we do, so we’re proud to have a long list of friendly to allow flexibility to the geos when productivity continue to increase year-on- number of Tier 1 projects, working hard to renewal clients and contract extensions.” they are designing up programs.” year making AUD the most productive in the ensure tight deadlines are met and work industry.” programs are completed to the highest Mr Muir said the company was sought after AUD recognises the importance of working standards. for its fully customised mobile underground safely and strive to implement a strong Mr Muir said he looked forward to continuing diamond drill rigs, experienced management safety culture. to work with WA-based resources companies “We are currently drilling for Northern Star, and drill crews. and welcomed all interested parties to get in Saracen Gold, Regis Resources, Silver Lake “Our experienced personnel focus on touch to discuss their project requirements. Resources, Evolution Mining, Red5 and “Our mobile underground drilling rigs have mentoring drillers and offsiders to ensure AMR

SPECIALISTS IN UNDERGROUND DIAMOND DRILLING EXPERIENCED WORKFORCE DELIVERS ON SAFETY AND PRODUCTIVITY

(08) 9339 6619 | audrilling.com.au 54 DRILLING SERVICES AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS

WEST CORE DRILLING Pty Ltd The Quality Coring Company A REPUTATION

FORounded in 2006 EXCELLENCEby brothers Hugo and Raglan Drilling is experienced in providing Gus Lacey, Raglan Drilling started out a high-quality service in the delivery of safe with one air-core rig and has since drilling. expanded to a 12-rig operation. F Raglan Drilling founder Gus Lacey said With dedication and a ‘can do’ attitude, the business understands no two jobs are Raglan has gained a reputation for delivering the same, and approaches each one with a high standard of service, sample quality an agile ‘can do attitude’ to exceed client and safety. expectations and deliver exceptional results. “We operate with transparency and Raglan delivers exceptional services and integrity, and place high-value on strong solutions in RAB, air core, reverse circulation, client relationships and client satisfaction,” diamond and lake drilling. he said.

In 14 years of operation, Raglan has a “We strive for effective and clear demonstrated a strong commitment to communication to ensure the best outcome DIAMOND DRILLING SPECIALISTS safety with excellent production rates and for every drill program. high-quality sample over every metre drilled. “We value our people and that’s why Raglan Provider of specialist surface diamond drilling services to the The company provides services across selectively employees, trains and supports multiple locations in WA with a highly skilled committed and capable drill crews who mining and exploration sectors throughout WA from shallow and committed crew of 55. closely follow company values and safety angled to deep directional drilling. protocols.” AMR Contact us for a quote on your next core drilling program

(08) 9378 4093 or 0438 022 466 [email protected]

www.westcore.com.au Raglan delivers exceptional services and solutions in RAB, air core, reverse circulation, diamond and lake drilling.

SAFE,afety, environment DIVERSE,and culture INNOVATIVE matters to Groundwave Drilling Services.

SThe sonic drilling expert possesses the skills and experience to tackle the most difficult jobs in the most remote areas from Australia to the Pacific Islands.

Groundwave understands the importance of respecting the environment and the local community, working hand-in-hand with Tier 1 companies to minimise a project’s footprint.

The company has become a world- leader in mine rehabilitation, tailings dam investigations and management to ensure the highest environmental standards.

It devises solutions to minimise impacts of drilling on surrounding vegetation, wildlife and waterways on a case-by-case basis. Groundwave understands the importance of respecting the environment and community when working in Australian and abroad. Groundwave also places a huge onus on safety and ensures its equipment is not only cutting edge, but also safe, modern and frequency vibrations down the drill head Black said. “Our drill platforms range in size from meticulously maintained. which fluidises the soil around it, making it 3000kg to 18,000kg and can drill holes to easy for the drill to progress with minimal With the largest and most diverse sonic fleet depths of 240m.” The ISO-accredited company prides itself torque. in the Asia Pacific Region, the company’s on providing a world-class drilling service drills can also utilise DTH, diamond and mud While the company specialises in sonic anywhere in the world across the mining, The system employs simultaneous, high- rotary techniques. drilling, it also has small footprint tight access construction and environmental sectors frequency, vibratory energy. rotary drill rigs to handle site investigations. from Australia to Papua New Guinea. “We provide world-class drilling services This action produces a uniform borehole using diverse and innovative techniques to Groundwave Drilling recognises that the Groundwave managing director Duncan while providing continuous, representative, achieve the very best results for our clients,” protection of the environment is crucial to Black said the company has long been a relatively undisturbed core samples of both Mr Black said. sustained economic growth in the future and pioneer in sonic drilling, which sets it apart overburden and most bedrock formations. complies with all environmental statutes in from others. “With nine sonic drilling rigs all capable of the countries in which it operates. AMR “If you are doing a site investigation on a rotary drilling methods, we can provide a The technique involves sending high- tailings dam, there is no better method,” Mr drill for jobs large and small. SEP2020 AMR DRILLING SERVICES 55 INDUSTRY FOCUS 56 DRILLING SERVICES AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS

Blue Spec Drilling Pty Ltd provides a variety of drilling services including:

✔ Reverse circulation ✔ Surface diamond drilling ✔ Directional drilling ✔ Water bores ✔ Remote area exploration and camps Blue Spec Drilling employs highly skilled and experienced operators and has a fleet of 20 modern multi-purpose drill rigs, which incorporate the latest safety and drilling techniques.

BLUE SPEC DRILLING IS BASED IN KALGOORLIE, WA AND ALSO HAS OPERATIONS IN SOUTH AMERICA.

CONTACT MURRAY BLACK M. 0417 973 394 P. 08 9021 3033 E. [email protected] W. www.bluespec.net.au SEP2020 AMR SAFETY PRODUCTS 57 INDUSTRY FOCUS THE IMPORTANCE OF HASPS AND PADLOCKS efore commencing any maintenance on the machinery and the person initiating on equipment, it is important to the work then attaches their personal isolate the equipment correctly to padlock to the hasp. avoid any accidental start-up of Bmachinery, which could lead to injury or Any other workers who may need to worse. simultaneously do maintenance on the machinery also attach their personal Cirlock’s lockout tagout padlocks. This is why lockout and tagout equipment is lockout padlocks to the hasp, preventing so crucial – it protects both employees and the machinery from being operated until all visitors. locks have been removed.

Lockout hasps are one of the items Lockout and tagout equipment specialist, extensively used in lockout tagout Cirlock, has a full range of lockout hasps, procedures and are designed to provide available in many different sizes, from six- maximum protection to workers while hole to 24-holes. carrying out maintenance of plant and machinery. Hasps are also available in aluminium and non-conductive materials, as well as high- The locking facility on a lockout hasp is ideal visibility hasps. Cirlock’s lockout tagout in group isolation situations – where more padlocks come in eight different colours, than one person is working on a piece of enabling individual locks to be easily equipment at any one time. recognisable for workers.

The hasp allows multiple personal lockout While red is primarily used for personal padlocks to be applied to one isolation point lockout, other colours can be used to indicate with photos, names and phone numbers or together with a lockout device. supervisors or different departments. branded with a company logo.

This could be required when multiple There are also various shackle sizes and The full range of Cirlock products are jobs are required to be carried out at the shackle types (non-conductive and stainless available from local electrical wholesaler. same time, or during shift changes, where steel) available from Cirlock, as well as maintenance is taken over by another group options for padlocks to be keyed individually More information can be found by of people. or keyed alike to suit project requirements. emailing [email protected], visiting www.cirlock.com.au or The hasp is attached to the isolation point Cirlock padlocks can also be personalised calling 07 5445 2910. AMR SAFEGUARDING

THEll workers WORKPLACEdeserve to go home Australian companies and jobs,” he said. injury-free at the end of the day. Reducing dropped object risks, “Our products are designed and tested for injuries and deaths should form tough Australian conditions and have stood partA of any good plant design and safety the test of time. management program. “We have product which has been providing Investing in dropped object prevention can protection on sites for over 10 years in the also prevent damage to vital equipment and harshest parts of our country like outback disruption to production schedules. South Australia.” Pro3 Safety Director and co-designer Simon Noack. The Dropped Object Prevention System Pro3 Safety director Andrew Crothers says (DROPS) by Pro3 Safety tackles this risk his team can easily customise the products RetroGUARD™ RetroSTEP™ head-on in a cost-effective way. to clients’ needs. The RetroGUARD™ Safety panel system RetroSTEP™ barricades areas above and can be retrofitted to existing handrails and below stairs. The mesh covers the opening It offers a simple life-saving solution and “We have a bracket system that simply maintains the existing handrail integrity. between existing steps. provides the best protection for employees, clips on to existing handrails, filling a gap contractors, and visitors against the risk of in workplace safety identified previously on It adapts to all types of platforms, stairs Fast, affordable, and easy to install, no hot injuries, falls and dropped objects. sites where Simon and myself worked,” he and walkways and can be quickly and easily works are required during installation and said. removed to provide vital access to areas for no interruption to production schedules. Pro3 has developed RetroGUARD™, maintenance works. RetroTREAD™ and RetroSTEP™. “Our integrated products are fast to When combined with RetroGUARD™and produce, easy to install and require no RetroGUARD™ is engineered to prevent RetroTREAD™, it reduces dropped object These solutions can be retrofitted to existing drafting, surface preparation or hot work. injury from dropped objects and falls from risks from open stairs and walkways. stairs, platforms and handrails and are personnel leaning through, standing or available in several finishes to suit a wide “Our products are protecting people on roof stepping onto handrails. RetroTREAD™ variety of handrail dimensions, shapes, and tops, bridges, at mine sites, in warehouses, RetroTREAD™ allows for fast and safe configurations. processing and manufacturing plants, power It maintains three points of contact during installation of safety flooring, with a clamp plants and at airports both in Australia and access and egress, it is fitted entirely from designed to clip to existing grid mesh floor. Pro3 Safety director Simon Noack says overseas.” inside the safety barriers of the platform or the company is Australian-owned and its stairs. Slip resistant floor sheets are quickly secured products are designed and manufactured The company is committed to continually to the RetroTREAD™ clip, barricading areas locally with Australian steel. improving safety in the workplace and The flexible design of RetroGUARD™ gives above and below each platform level, setting new standards in dropped-object complete coverage, even for internal and preventing the risk of injury from falling “We are committed to supporting other prevention solutions and systems. external corners. objects. AMR 58 SAFETY PRODUCTS AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS

A CUTartor Australia is at ABOVEthe forefront THE REST of cutting-edge technology and has further sharpened its focus Mon keeping workers safe. The SECUPRO 625 Safety Knife is one of the company’s leading ergonomic squeeze grip knives and can be summed up in one word: premium.

The knife is a cut above rival products due to its fully automatic blade retraction, which guarantees a high degree of safety to prevent debilitating cuts an injuries.

The blade withdraws into the handle immediately after leaving the material being cut, even when the lever is being squeezed. Martor Australia sales manager Monica Cobban said the knife is proving popular across all different types of workplaces.

“It’s been a big seller right across the board for all industries but is proving most popular The SECUPRO 625 Safety Knife is one of Martor’s leading ergonomic squeeze grip knives. in the mining industry,” she said.

“It’s made the top-five list of the most popular The knife features excellent ergonomics enlarged by installing other types of blades, quality with innovation to manufacture knives out of more than 50 manufactured from the long and smooth lever to the round which can be easily changed. premium cutting tools for industrial and by Martor. shape of the handle and soft grip. professional purposes. For extra peace of mind, users can lock “It offers all that professional users require: Its robust construction from high-quality the lever to avoid the blade being released For more than 20 years, Martor Australia an aluminium handle, an easy and smooth aluminium achieves strength while also unintentionally. Even saw-cutting is safe has been an official partner of the Martor lever to release the blade, a large cutting maintaining balance through optimal weight thanks to the protecting blade retraction. family, together providing the world’s best depth combined with a very high safety due distribution. safety knives in more than 70 counties. to the fully automatic blade retraction and a Martor has been one of the leading comfortable blade change. A large cutting depth is ideal for slicing up to international manufacturers of safer cutting The company prides itself on its overarching three-ply cardboard boxes, rubber, material solutions for more than 75 years. mission: to reduce accidents in the “We have rarely produced a cutting-edge on reels and many more materials. workplace. AMR tool before that fits so perfectly into the The family-owned company, based in heavy user’s hand.” The number of application areas can be Solingen, Germany, has been combining

MINElight Safety Foundation’s FLIGHT Basic Newcrest Mining SeniorSAFETY Aviation Coordinator BAR NONE Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) Program Mark Wheatley said the company, like many is improving safety in Asia Pacific and in the industry, had limited formal aviation across the globe, with a decrease in risk management in place before joining Faviation accidents in the onshore resource BARS. sector since 2012. “Due to the high turnover of personnel in According to managing director David the resource sector, the most difficult part Anderson, the reduced aviation accidents of transitioning to the BARS program was directly correlate to the growth of the BARS ensuring all staff were trained in the new Program and will remain integral to maintain standard,” he said. a downward trend in APAC. “Thankfully, BARS developed the Helicopter “The first BARS program was developed External Load Operations for Ground in collaboration with 12 Australian and Personnel training course to provide basic American resource and mining companies training for any personnel engaged in to provide a more efficient means of activities involving helicopter under-slung monitoring, assessing and analysing safety loads.” risks associated with contracted aircraft operators,” Mr Anderson said. Newcrest uses the BARS program in a range of remote locations presenting unique “Evidence shows that the number of contract aviation risks from high temperatures in aircraft accidents increases when activity in Western Australia to frigid conditions in the mining sector surges. northern British Columbia.

“With production and sales of iron ore “We have found BARS easy to implement expected to increase significantly in across all of our locations. Enabling critical Australia over the next six months, proper control management of major aviation risks risk management will be even more and providing our personnel with safety important in maintaining this downward assurance,” Mr Wheatley said. trend in contract aviation accidents.” “BARS saves us the cost of undertaking BARS Member Organisations’ (BMO) incident numerous annual audits of aircraft and audit data is aggregated to identify operators, saving us between US$200- gaps in contract aviation risk management 250,000 per annum.” “Without the BARS Program, and now “BARS is continuing to offer businesses and to improve safety standards for the entire our remote monitoring audit solution, governments that rely on contract aircraft industry. Exemplifying its leadership in the aviation companies in a range of different sectors peace of mind by ensuring safety standards industry, the BARS Program has evolved would need to wait months in the current are maintained at a time when many Gold miner Newcrest Mining has been a amid border lockdowns to assess the safety climate for an auditor to be able to physically organisations are facing uncertainty and BMO since 2011. of aircraft operators remotely. travel to conduct an assessment of an widespread restrictions.” AMR aircraft operator,” Mr Anderson said. SEP2020 AMR 59 INDUSTRY FOCUS

Australian Mines and Services Handbook 2021

The inaugural Australian Mines and Services Handbook 2021 will be distributed this year and will be an invaluable resource for those who work in the mining industry.

Secure your place in the bible of mining handbooks

The Australian Mines and Services Handbook 2021 will comprise three sections: 1. Commodities and the Year Ahead 2. Directory of Mines (Divided into states and cross referenced against main commodity) 3. Directory of Services to Mines

Cadia Valley Operations State: NSW NSW Location: 25km South-West of Orange, 33.4580°S, 148.9966°E Ownership: 100% Newcrest owned Stock Exchange: ASX: IGO Management: Peter Sharpe – GM Cadia Valley Operations Mine Status: Operational Cadia Valley Underground mine Care and Maintenance Cadia Hill Open Pit and Ridgeway Underground mine Copper and gold discovery in the region dates back to 1851. Mining began at the Cadia Hill open pit in 1998, and the Ridgeway Underground mine in 2002. The Cadia History: Hill Open Pit and Ridgeway Underground mines are currently under care and maintenance. The Cadia East Underground mine was commissioned in January 2013. Development: Potential Commodities An expansion is planned to increase Gold and Copper ore-milling ability of the processing FY18 saw production of about 600,000 ounces of gold and plant and the Cadia East underground 62,000 tonnes of copper mine. Processing: Conventional Flotation Circuit producing gold/copper concentrate and gold bullion Triton Copper Operations State: NSW Location: 200km North-West of Dubbo, 31.3956°S, 146.7216°E Ownership: Aeris Resources (100%) Stock Exchange: ASX: NCM Commodities: Copper Management: Tritton Resources www.australianminingreview.com.au/amr-handbookMain Office: Level 2, HQ South Tower, 520 Wickham Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane QLD 4006 Australia Mines Status: Operational (>26,000 tonnes of copper produced in FY18) Overview: Mining of the Tritton ore body commenced in 2004. Stope production commenced in March 2005. Development of Murrawombie commenced in 2016. Development: There are four additional mine projects scheduled for future production, which together with Tritton and Murrawombie form the current Life of Mine plan (LOM). Processing: Conventional crushing and flotation methods, producing a clean copper concentrate. Nova Operations State: WA Location: 160km East-Northeast of Norseman, 31.819888°S, 123.194386°E Ownership: Independence Group (100%) Stock Exchange: ASX: IGO Commodities: Nickel, Copper and Cobalt Management: Independence Group Main Office: South Shore Centre, Suite 4, Level 5/85 S Perth Esplanade, South Perth WA 6151 Mines Status: Operational Overview: The Nova deposit was discovered in July 2012. Commercial production commenced in July 2017. Development: Further underground exploration drilling will target resource extensions and new areas of mineralisation outside the existing resource envelope. Processing: Two stage grinding circuit that comprising a SAG and ball mill. The ore/slurry from the grinding circuit is classified via the mill cyclones and the cyclone overflow undergoes differential flotation. The nickel and copper flotation circuits have dedicated regrind, cleaning and re-cleaning processes to optimise metal recovery in each circuit. 60 ABRASIVE BLASTING AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS

FORhe perennial challengesALL of surface ABRASIVE pieces of equipment is usually done outside, BLASTING NEEDS preparation and corrosion confront and with Protoblast’s maxi-build chambers, many companies operating in the this process can be done all-year round, in Tmining industry. any kind of weather. Protoblast, Australia’s leading designer The mega-build chamber is Protoblast’s and manufacturer of abrasive blasting general purpose chamber, perfect for equipment, offers end-to-end solutions for medium and light work. both Australian and international operators confronting these challenges. They are quick and easy to install, and can be constructed up to 6m in width and height Protoblast’s wide array of abrasive blasting with length variable to meet customer products and its end-to-end service means requirements. that customers don’t need to shop around and deal with multiple companies to get the The portable chambers are ideal for high end result they need. The company’s deep volume small items or infrequent blasting of and wide expertise makes it a one-stop shop larger sections. for all abrasive blasting needs. These portable chambers are self-contained Protoblast general manager Ben Noble units that can be dropped on site and be makes it clear. “We design, engineer, operational within 24 hours. manufacture, install, commission and maintain everything within the company,” In addition to flexibility, longevity is a core he said. feature of Protoblast engineering.

And because of its deep expertise in all ”The Protoblast blast chamber is designed stages of the design and manufacturing and built to outlast and outperform all process, Protoblast can offer its customers rivals,” Mr Noble said. the flexibility and custom-tailored service necessary to overcome even the most “We also provide the ability for the customer vexing challenges. to fabricate the blast chamber themselves to save money, and they can take advantage A maxi-build blast chamber. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, but of the experience of the team at Protoblast rather a flexible, bespoke service designed by purchasing a design package.” to fulfill the diverse needs of any operator, from sole traders to large corporations. Protoblast’s Abrasive Recovery System, integrated into the blast chamber, is The kinds of jobs and facilities that renowned as being the most efficient Protoblast can accommodate are as varied system on offer. as the companies that it services. Using the Oscillating conveyor, Bucket Whether it’s roofing screws or shipbuilding Elevator and Abrasive Classifier, the facilities, railway lines or fully assembled Protoblast system is quiet and uses minimal Caterpillar dumpers, Protoblast offers all power consumption, saving companies of its customers the equipment they need substantial amounts of money on energy to get the job done and keep their business costs. humming. Furthermore, because the abrasive is “Our extensive experience and expertise conveyed and cleaned at a low speed, wear runs right through this whole process. The on the system is reduced, meaning that end result is the production of equipment companies don’t have to shell out money on and services that provide the best return on constant maintenance. investment,” Mr Noble said. Indeed, a number of Protoblast’s customers As a family-owned business with more have recorded significant cost savings than 45 years of experience in the industry, when compared to the operating costs of Protoblast has a reputation for excellence, a standard pneumatic abrasive recovery demonstrated by the roster of companies system. who have looked to Protoblast for help in fulfilling their abrasive blasting needs. As anyone in the industry can attest, effective dust control is crucial to the performance of BHP Billiton, Caterpillar Inc., Hitachi a blast chamber. Construction Machinery, Komatsu and Force Emeco Group are just some of the Protoblast’s dust extractors have proven companies which have used Protoblast’s themselves again and again to be highly A wheel machine for blasting structural steel sections. services. effective and efficient dust collectors.

Four key product lines form the heart of ”Our dust collectors are designed and built Furthermore, the excellence of Protoblast’s And it’s not just a national operation. The Protoblast’s offerings: blast chambers, specifically for this industry and make engineering means that customers can company has many facilities operating abrasive recovery systems, dust extractors maintenance as easy as possible,” Mr Noble exploit these systems for many years with in New Zealand and has provided large and airless blast machines. said. minimal maintenance costs. facilities for aluminium smelters in the United Arab Emirates. Its blast chambers comes in three general “The filters are positioned horizontally, In addition to these key product lines, forms: the maxi-build, mega-build, and which means that it is not necessary to enter Protoblast also offers a range of products to Wherever you are in the world, Protoblast is portable chambers. the unit to change them out. This makes improve blast chamber productivity, such as there for you. them safer.” trolleys and rail arrangements. All of these can be sized and fitted to Protoblast is a great Australian success meet specific needs. No size, shape, or Finally, Protoblast’s custom-designed Altogether, Protoblast’s attention to story, but the company isn’t resting on its configuration is impossible. Protoblast will abrasive wheel machines are built to blast longevity and the superior engineering well-deserved laurels. design and build whatever is needed. high volumes of standardised shapes and quality of its products gives its customers sizes of blast sections, and can be utilised peace of mind, knowing that they are Its philosophy of continuous improvement, The maxi-build chambers have no size for a variety of products such as pipes, purchasing exceptional Australian-made innovation and stringent quality control restrictions and are ideal for jobs that structural steel, plate, scaffolding, gas systems paired with the kind of support and means that it will retain its place as require the space and infrastructure for cylinders and drums. service that comes from a widely respected Australia’s market leader in abrasive blasting high volume work and large structures. Australian company. equipment well into the future. The abrasive wheel machine is matched to Built to last, these maxi-build chambers the Protoblast airstream abrasive classifier. Though based in Picton, NSW, Protoblast For more information about Protoblast, can handle the requirements of large-scale has equipment in all corners of Australia, visit: www.protoblast.com.au miners. This system continuously cleans and from Darwin and Weipa in the North, to AMR recycles used abrasive, significantly reducing Hobart in the South, Perth in the West and As operators know, blasting for very large blasting costs. everywhere in between. SEP2020 AMR INDUSTRY FOCUS 61 INDUSTRY FOCUS 62 ABRASIVE BLASTING AMR SEP2020 INDUSTRY FOCUS VERTIDRIVE:

lasting and coating specialist, Case Study: Fuel Storage Tanks ATBlastOne, FULLis delivering successful OneBLAST of its recent applications was at a outcomes for its clients one blast client’s tank wall in WA. at a time with its state-of-the-art BVertiDrive remote-controlled robots. “Our client approached us looking for a solution to a project that they were tendering The VertiDrive range consists of magnetic on, involving the removal of epoxy coating robot crawlers with applications in hydro from steel fuel storage tanks,” Mr Gooden blasting, and abrasive blasting (wet/dry), said. moving independently in all directions: up, More information on BlastOne can be found at: www.blastone.com. down, sideways and even overhead, so “They were wanting to offer a solution to clients can perform a variety of jobs, while the facility owner that could be shown to be staying safely on the ground. safer than conventional abrasive blasting, BlastOne said it recommended the “The resultant finish was to an SSPC-SP while at the same time provide greater VertiDrive convertible system to improve WJ-1 Waterjet standard. Flash rust was not BlastOne National Rental and Water Jet productivity.” productivity at the operation. noticeable in the two hours following the manager Athol Gooden said they were trial.” three times faster than a single blaster with The coating on the tanks was an epoxy “The VertiDrive M4 UHP Waterjet Robot production rates up to 350 sq ft per hour, coating with an average thickness ranging was trialled initially and vacuum extraction The VertiDrive M3 Abrasive Blast Robot improving safety for operators by distancing from 275 microns up to 300 microns, and was provided by a Vermeer trailer mounted was trialled the following day with a paint personnel from the nozzle and removing was generally in poor to average condition. vacuum system,” Mr Gooden said. removal rate of 69m2 per hour on a straight the need for elevated blasting. run stripping a 1.5m-wide path. The contractor had previously stripped “The paint removal rate when using the “This means no more scaffolding for high the tanks on this site using a manual VertiDrive M4 Robot was calculated to be “Cleaning rate when blasting the flash surfaces higher output and reduced man dry abrasive blasting process, where the 49m2 per hour on a straight run stripping a rusted steel increased to 75m2 per hour,” Mr hours, saving you significant costs for your blasting operator worked from a boom lift. 400mm wide path. Gooden said. operation,” he said. Production rates for removal of the old coating using this method were typically in “Manoeuvring time for subsequent runs “Our client was thrilled with the outcome.” “It really is an amazing innovation. We love the 15–25m2 per hour range. reduced the overall production rate to an AMR seeing how it can benefit our clients.” average of 41m2 per hour. SEP2020 AMR 4WD TRAINING 63 INDUSTRY FOCUS THE PROTECTION PROVIDERS

All of Eureka’s light vehicles are Australasian New Car Assessment Program 5-Star rated to ensure the safety of all clients.

ine sites are nearly always training, saving operators both time and commence from its purpose-built training Anyone who completes the course will located in harsh, isolated and money. facility located in Midvale, WA, which is receive the appropriate licence directly hostile environments. centrally located to all of its practical off- through Eureka. To accommodate compliance regulations road training areas. MMovement to, from and within the various while still delivering training to the In this way, operators don’t need to deal locations of a site often requires operators very highest standards, Eureka has Eureka can cater for individual or group with different bureaucracies to get what to utilise 4WD vehicles. a comprehensive online e-learning bookings, and can deliver training anywhere they need. component that can be completed prior to throughout Australia on request. Accidents are a common occurrence, putting the course date via a PC, Mac, Smartphone Eureka’s professionalism and world-class at risk worker safety and the efficiency of a or tablet device. Where required, Eureka can tailor a course training makes it Australia’s premier one- mine site. to suit any site location or terrain-specific stop shop for vehicle safety qualifications. Eureka remains the first and only training situation to suit any off-road application. Staff injuries mean downtime, increased organisation that offers a free smartphone For those in the transportation industry, healthcare costs, reduced workforce morale, app available for all clients to download. All of Eureka’s highly skilled Cert IV Eureka also offers nationally recognised and ultimately, a loss in revenues. instructors have travelled extensively off- load restraint courses related to chain of The app features all the content and more road throughout Australia and beyond and responsibility legislation. Protecting human resources is a core from all of the company’s courses. are experts in all of the features found in responsibility for any serious operation. modern 4WD vehicles. Eureka 4WD Training has been the industry’s Importantly, the app can be utilised without leading professionals for the past 28 years. Eureka 4WD Training helps mining the need for network coverage. It’s like As a company, Eureka is very active within It has the expertise to deliver training and companies fulfill this vital obligation. having a personal trainer in your pocket. the 4WD industry. site-specific verification of competency courses anywhere throughout Australia on Providing clients with safe and responsible The app covers a vast range of 4WD It’s passionate about what it does. Eureka is request. 4WD training programs for both on- methods and techniques over a variety of commercially licenced by the Department of road and off-road situations has been terrains, including how to safely perform Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, At a time when workplace safety on the the core component of Eureka since the 4WD recovery. and environmental awareness is a core mine site is of increasing concern to state company’s inception as a registered training value of the company. governments around the country, Eureka’s organisation in WA in 1992. Eureka has made available 12 modern fully- comprehensive services promise to give equipped light vehicles in either automatic Apart from its industry-renowned off-road operators the best chance they have to For the past 28 years, Eureka have been or manual transmission along with part- training courses, Eureka offers heavy vehicle reduce and eliminate vehicle accidents at the forefront of delivering nationally time 4WD and full-time 4WD modes. licencing directly from its facility, using high- from the wide array of safety concerns recognised light vehicle training packages quality heavy vehicles. that confront workers in this tough and to the mining, resources and construction All of Eureka’s light vehicles are Australasian challenging industry. industries, and during that time, Eureka has New Car Assessment Program 5-Star rated And because Eureka’s 4WD training has amassed an impeccable safety record. to ensure the safety of all clients. been licenced by the Department of More information: Transport, the company can train all clients Eureka 4WD Training The company’s focus is on zero harm, while Furthermore, Eureka will accept any suitable for heavy rigid, heavy combination, and www.eureka4wd.com.au still maintaining the highest standards 4WD for any of its courses if an operator multi-combination licences along with the AMR with regards to the company’s practical prefers that its staff learn in work-specific heavy vehicle licence. assessments. vehicles.

Of the 16 units of competency that the Apart from its widely renowned 4WD company has on its scope, Eureka has nine training, Eureka also offers both quad bike dedicated units of competency for off-road and side-by-side utility vehicle training, all to and defensive vehicle training, which deliver a national standard. all of the currently required units for site- driving throughout Australia. Eureka strongly believes that everyone who operates these vehicles in a workplace Due to various client and site requirements, environment should be trained in the correct Eureka has also grouped units together, and safe use of these off-road vehicles due offering up to three units of competency to the high risk of personal injury that they delivered over one course. present.

In collaboration with various industry Eureka has four quad bikes of various sizes regulators, Eureka has also developed its and two side-by-side utility vehicles available. Premium Off-Road course, which leads to However, Eureka can accommodate the students obtaining the three most sought- required training a company needs with any Eureka has nine dedicated units of competency after units for site driving requirements. suitable vehicle. for off-road and defensive vehicle training, which deliver all of the currently required units This is delivered over just a single day of Eureka’s commercial training courses for site-driving throughout Australia. 64 DIRECTIONAL DRILLING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES

DDH1 exploration drilling at De Grussa copper/ gold mine pre-mining.

ining is a high-risk, high-reward most comprehensive assessment of a zone the company in its directional drilling work. “Missing targets is not just about the cost enterprise, the success of which of interest has the best chance of attracting of the hole but includes project opportunity is dependent on a range of and sustaining capital investment. “We use downhole motors to progressively costs when a critical decision is based on a factors. For companies involved deviate the drill holes as we descend. drill hole result. Min the exploration phase of mining, and for DDH1’s sophisticated deep hole directional Internally, they are like a mono-pump. They those in the capital markets who invest in drilling is pushing Australia’s technological have a very small, subtle bend right on the “Our emphasis is on personalised service mineral exploration, the risk-reward ratio capabilities in mine development and end, about half a metre behind the drill bit. to design and deliver accurate drilling and the problem of uncertainty is perhaps exploration further than anywhere else Once the parent hole is drilled, we lower the programs that achieve our client’s targets. even more extreme. in the world by making assessments directional bit to the bottom of the hole and We are confident that with our best-in-class of potential resources more detailed, then run a survey tool down and orientate drilling equipment, on-rig spatial software And though uncertainty is pervasive, accurate and comprehensive than ever that tool in the direction we want it to go. and highly experienced personnel, that we the JORC code means ASX-listed mining before. It achieves this heightened degree can deliver optimal results.” companies must abide by a strictly enforced of intelligence through its innovations in Sometimes we deal with live survey uniform resource reporting standard and be directional drilling. equipment down there but most of the time Service Holes Past 1km as accurate and detailed as possible in their we pull that survey gear out. Once we start DDH1’s directional drilling expertise is in reports to investors. Working the Angles pumping, only the drill bit is turning and high demand for drilling mine service holes The capacity to manoeuvre the drill bit because it is on a slight angle to the rest of to accurately intersect mine workings at Therefore, accurate information is the and alter the direction of drilling deep the tool it then drills off in the direction that very specific points. foundation for success, and whether it underground rests on some remarkable we set it.” is an established mine looking to extend technological innovation. AMR interviewed “As a first step to most projects, we their reserves, or a company engaged Murray Pollock, co-founder and Managing Parents and Daughters directionally drill pilot holes which are in remote greenfields exploration, the Director of DDH1, to gain some insights into After drilling a single surface parent hole to steered to the target using advanced enterprise with the sharpest picture and the technology and techniques employed by a depth of around 1000m, DDH1 utilises its gyro down hole surveying and the correct innovative directional drilling capabilities to directional drilling equipment,” he said. branch out and drill a series of holes, termed ‘daughter holes’, to depths of 3000m and “These holes have been used for many beyond. These holes intersect the target purposes, such as to deliver paste backfill deposit from multiple points and angles. directly from a surface paste plant to the underground area, to lower large high In many cases, directional drilling allows the voltage electrical cables directly from target deposit to be drilled at flatter angles surface to deep underground, and to pump than conventional drilling and increases the ground water from underground workings. chances of not only intersecting areas of “Once the directionally drilled pilot core interest but also giving a truer indication of hole has broken through, the holes are then their width and orientation. This leads to enlarged to accept a specific casing size. more accurate modelling of the structure Enlarging the hole diameter is accomplished and quantity of any resource. with down hole hammers and significant expertise is required to ensure that holes Hitting the Spot are not blocked up or lost. Deep drill holes are the end result of time- consuming work required to define and “We generally find that if holes are into ensure spatially accurate intersections of open mine workings, then spoil from the planned drill targets. opening is allowed to drop into workings which minimises down hole compressed air “At DDH1 we recognise that deep hole drilling requirements. is a costly business and those costs have been preceded by significant investment to “Potential accuracy is typically within 1m identify drilling targets,” Murray said. over 1km and the directionally drilled core DDH1 rigs in action at the KCGM Super Pit. holes are then enlarged to accept pressure SEP2020 AMR DIRECTIONAL DRILLING 65 TECHNICAL TALK

The Waukarlycarly drill site was identified off the back of data from Australia’s largest onshore seismic line which spans from central Australia to near Marble Bar in WA. rated oilfield casing and grouted back to the exploration where we use mineral drilling in each hole from inception to completion Last year, DDH1 also partnered with KCGM surface.” techniques to drill first pass oil and gas (which can take a year in some instances) to complete a highly technical drilling project exploration holes. So, you get a transfer and work through any challenges to deliver at KCGM’s Super Pit in Kalgoorlie, WA, to DDH1’s deepest single pass mine service back the other way too. Most times an the required end result. allow for dewatering of the pit ahead of the hole is 1450m with multiple successful oil company goes out to drill a hole, they planned mining schedule. projects completed in excess of 1000m. always assume it’s going to be a gusher and “DDH1 is one of very few companies in the “Once a client gives us a target, our in-house they’ll take a huge rig out with a convoy of mineral drilling sector in Australia able to Two boreholes were successfully drilled for team designs the holes using specialised semitrailers - the whole kit and kaboodle. perform these services at such depths and the placement of submersible pumps to software,” Murray said. its quality of equipment and productivity far remove excess water from beneath the pit. “However, for most of these holes we can exceeds that of its competitors in general,” The project site was located at the Eastern “Up at St Barbara (Gwalia) a few years ago, take a mineral drilling rig and drill a cored Murray said. “In 2018, we drilled Australia’s end of the Boulder industrial area, adjacent we drilled an electrical drop hole to drop a stratigraphic hole for a fraction of the price deepest hole at Northern Star’s Jundee (in to the Super Pit Lookout entrance – external cable from the surface and it landed within and a fraction of the environmental impact. WA) of 3217m, a testament to the strength to the pit to facilitate potential future 2m at a depth of 1375m. By using a mineral rig you also get core all and technical expertise of the DDH1 team. expansions. the way - right through the sequence - so “As another example, we drilled an electrical the client ends up with enhanced geological Deploying Sandvik NHD heavy duty rods “The bore holes were drilled at an angle, drop hole for a WA client, which involved a knowledge, compared with a bucket full of rated to 3000m, and using a 2500m-rated targeting specific mine workings to access pilot hole to 1446m. This hole was opened muddy chips when they use a large oil and Sandvik DE880 rig, the drill hole extended water while avoiding other old mine to 12.25-inch, cased with a 9.6-inch diameter gas rig,” Murray said. 200m beyond the previous core drill record workings,” Murray explained. “The old 100t oilfield casing string and grouted back achieved at the Kalgoorlie Super Pit in 2015.” workings are hydrologically connected to to surface with 60m3 of grout. This hole Furthermore, DDH1’s capacity to operate the pit, allowing them to act as a dewatering is the deepest single pass cable drop hole under the stringent regulations governing Murray even said that if it wasn’t for Northern sump. Even though we drilled two holes, the in the Southern hemisphere and is now the oil and gas sector means it can take Star calling a halt, the company could have diameter and placement of each hole means powering the deeper extensions of that on a range of jobs that might otherwise continued drilling past this record depth, that either one is capable of dewatering the mine.” overwhelm standard drilling companies. Its which had a true vertical depth (TVD) of whole pit – we drilled two though, so one recent work with Geoscience Australia is a 2625.1m. can be used for redundancy.” Oil and Gas to Mineral Drilling Crossover case in point. The use of downhole motors is common Other Directional Drilling Applications Though ostensibly a drilling company, practice in oilfield directional drilling, and Deep and Complex “At the end of last year, we drilled a hole for perhaps it’s better to think of DDH1 as an DDH1 has taken this innovation from the DDH1 provides highly specialised mine Geoscience Australia for a new stratigraphic intelligence collection service, collecting oil and gas industry and transferred it to development and expansion expertise to well in the Canning Basin, Murray said. The the kind of core intelligence clients need drilling for the mining sector. extract mineral core samples at depths in Waukarlycarly drill site was identified off to adequately assess a deposit. For excess of 3km. This type of work requires the back of data from Australia’s largest companies listed on the ASX, this is vital. The “There is a sort of transfer of oilfield drilling specialised knowledge, the right equipment, onshore seismic line which spans from consequences of not adequately adhering technology and surveying techniques to experienced personnel, meticulous planning central Australia to near Marble Bar in WA. to the JORC code can be severe, including mining,” Murray said. “We take things that and detailed safety systems. This highlighted two areas of the Basin - the enforced retractions of statements. are generally isolated to one drilling industry Waukarlycarly Embayment and the Kidson and move it across disciplines.” That expertise has been passed on from Sub-basin - which showed new mineral, DDH1’s sophisticated drilling of multiple Murray and co-founding partner, Matt energy and groundwater potential. intersections at flatter angles offers DDH1’s versatility and competitive edge as a Thurston, to their employees. General companies the most effective way to company comes from this ability to traverse Manager of Operations, Mat Scarlett, “We went down to 2680m HQ core to get comprehensively map out and calculate both the oil and gas and mining industries, started with DDH1 in 2006 as a young driller the information. That sort of work was done the size, shape, orientation and grade of a shifting and utilising technology from one and through his obvious talents for planning under full oil and gas regulations. So, we JORC resource. In this way, companies and field and applying it to the other, to offer complex directional programs progressed were drilling with blow out preventors and investors are not basing their decisions on clients greater efficiencies in their drilling to a senior driller and now holds the most they are high cost holes compared with the limited information drawn from isolated programs. senior operational position in the company. normal core holes but a lot cheaper than drill holes. taking an oil and gas rig in. And of course, “Something else that we’ve done over He and many of DDH1’s other managers with diamond drilling they had the evidence, a period of many years is oil and gas are directional drillers and become invested they had the core” Murray said. CONTINUED ON P66 66 DIRECTIONAL DRILLING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

At Gwalia, DDH1 drilled an electrical drop hole to drop a cable from the surface and it landed within 2m at a depth of 1375m.

First Fleet CONTINUED FROM P65 Along with incredible innovations in technology, DDH1 has the fleet necessary More than that, directional drilling from to handle even the most challenging jobs. the surface means drillers don’t need to re- “Within the DDH1 fleet, we’ve got 50 surface mobilise rigs to drill multiple surface holes, rigs and 10 underground rigs. reducing their impact on the environment, and mining companies don’t need expend Strike Drilling and Ranger Drilling are also money on water, ventilation and electricity part of our group, which allows us to offer that drilling from an underground position a full range of drilling services including demands. Reverse Circulation and Aircore drilling,” Murray said. DDH1’s diamond core drilling can extract intact mineral core samples at depths of “Quality, safety and continuous improvement up to 3km. Mineral core is the chief source are our top priorities and we go to great of geological information for exploration lengths to ensure all of our equipment and companies and other clients, and the ability staff are performing at optimal capacity. to extract accurate and high-quality samples We operate Australia’s newest and most from properly orientated core means DDH1 standardised high-capacity Diamond Core can offer a range of actors in the minerals surface drilling fleet. We also have specialist sector expert guidance as they plan for the rigs for complex engineering work and a future. fleet of underground rigs capable of drilling under flexible conditions,” Murray added. Fluorescent Photography Another innovation from DDH1 is their Most of them are Sandvik rigs, including onsite photographic analysis of diamond the Sandvik UDR5000, UDR3000, UDR650, core. Developed in-house through its work DE710, DE840 and DE880. Indeed, Murray in the oil and gas sector, DDH1 offers clients is a big fan of Sandvik equipment, with a high-resolution photography of mineral Sandvik DE880 the first rig used when the core in both white light and UV light. company started. “We have 32 DE880s, the particular rig used in the Jundee record- “A lot of minerals fluoresce at different breaking drilling operations,” he said. wavelengths, it’s just a matter of understanding which wavelength you are Whether drilling on a mine site or conducting dealing with and making sure you’ve got the exploration in remote regions, DDH1 will UV wavelength for that particular mineral,” configure its operations, rig setup, safety Murray said. management and personnel to optimise the drilling outcome. AMR “As we drill the core, we photograph it SOURCE straight away in both white light and UV DDH1 Drilling light - and with UV, hydrocarbons fluoresce. P 08 9435 1700 With a very low levels of hydrocarbons, you E [email protected] W www.ddh1.com.au might not see them with the naked eye, but we can detect them with our photographic techniques.

So, we are drilling and then photographing the core as soon as it comes out of the hole and we can transmit that data straight to the client’s head offices,” Murray said.

Everything is set up on-site to photograph the extracted core and transmit the information to the client.

“We’ve got that all set up in what we term Geoshacks™, these are shipping containers that we’ve lined and fitted out to a high level of operator comfort. We run the core across the back of the container, and we’ve got a dark room inside, so the core rolls in one side and out the other side, the operator is sitting in there taking photographs. It’s a facility that on remote site creates an ideal environment for the geologist to complete detailed work in the harshest conditions,” Murray said. Drilling at Golden Grove. SEP2020 AMR LINE BORING 67 TECHNICAL TALK CUTTING EDGE

AVS Engineering in action line boring lift cylinder bores on site.

ydraulic drive pumps for insitu in order to have enough volume and tank line boring and surface facing surface area to cool that fluid during the have historically been heavy for machining process. The second problem is operators to handle and lacked that reducing the flow of fluid to the pump Hcontrol and power at low cutting speeds. significantly reduces the amount of power it AVS Engineering, in Bellevue WA, has can produce at lower rotating speeds. This recently released a brand new innovation in is not ideal if more power is needed to cut this area – a DC servo controlled hydraulic through harder material. pump. Faced with the ‘that’s how it’s always been The new pump is the result of extensive done’ mentality, AVS decided to come up design, development and testing in WA and with a better option on their own. They is based on AVS’s need for more consistency enlisted the help of electronics experts and and control in their own jobs on mine sites applied their own knowledge from decades across the state. The product they have in the field carrying out onsite machining on developed is now available for sale to other every possible piece of equipment. onsite machining companies. The end result is a revolutionary, DC Conventional hydraulic pump controllers servo controlled hydraulic pump that can for these applications regulate cutting electronically manage any hydraulic cutter speed by restricting the flow of fluid to the or mill. pump. This creates two problems, the first is that heat is generated and that requires a large reservoir of fluid to be taken to site CONTINUED ON P68

An optional installation of the new DC servo controlled pump - mounted in a self- contained trailer. 68 LINE BORING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

Machining Komatsu WA900 diff housing mounts.

under the DC motor and pump – only 20l CONTINUED FROM P67 are required. Three-phase AC power is supplied to the What’s more, the intelligent control box can control box, which is converted to DC, which instantly compensate for variances in the supplies the DC servo motor that drives the hardness of the material being machined. hydraulic pump. If the cutting tip suddenly encounters a The fully intelligent control system is making harder material, the controller instantly hundreds of calculations a second and responds by applying more load to give an measures load on the pump, inertia and even cut. also calculates and compensates for the length of hose connecting the pump to the Conversely, if the material is soft and borer and allows for the internal losses from consistent, the controller with reduce the that hose. load to provide consistent machining.

Because the speed of the pump is being The photos show the controller, pump, controlled by a DC electric servo, full flow, hoses and all necessary equipment housed and therefore power, is still available to the in a purpose-built trailer. cutter even at low speeds. It is possible, if required, to remove the DC Thus, the cutter will not bog or stall at motor and pump and move it closer to the the slow speeds required to cut harder job if required. It is light enough to be easily materials, resulting in a perfect finish and handled and can be taken up scaffolds or in much less operator stress. a lift on site.

An added bonus is the reduction of heat The remote controller for the unit is housed imparted into the hydraulic fluid during in an aluminium case, not a plastic one. AVS operation. This reduces the volume of fluid know how hard some of this equipment required, which makes the entire unit even works on site, so they have made their more mobile. controller tough enough to take the knocks Line boring bucket to boom bores on a but still light enough to use all day without Komatsu WA1200. Note that the fluid reservoir sits neatly undue operator fatigue.

Line boring a CAT950 bucket. SEP2020 AMR LINE BORING 69 TECHNICAL TALK

A special jig was fabricated to line bore the lean bar from a 16M grader.

The controller is also fully earthed and the Bearing failure had caused significant system continuously checks the status of damage to the inner and outer runners on that earth for complete operator safety. the lift, so AVS built an automated surface grinding rig to run up and down the inside In-house and Onsite Machining of the rails to machine them back to a flat Apart from designing, building and now surface after reclamation welding had been selling revolutionary electronically controlled completed. hydraulic pumps, AVS Engineering has full in-house and onsite machining capabilities AVS’s founders, father and son team with all the equipment needed for minesite Vaughan and Adrian South, have decades of maintenance, refurbishment and repairs. experience working on mine sites across the country and all that expertise is passed on Line boring has been their mainstay for to each and every client. many years and their capabilities in this area are second to none. This is what enables them to solve difficult engineering problems and come up with AVS can deliver accuracy within 0.002-inch innovative solutions. over a span of 12m to ensure even the widest spaced pin bores run perfectly true, A major part of their business is in line centre to centre. boring and surface machining and that has led them to design and build the new DC Their equipment allows them to handle controlled pump, which is now available for bores from a tiny 35mm to a massive other machinists to purchase. 1200mm in diameter, which caters for everything from the smallest PTO link to the Australian know-how and expertise applied largest excavator arm. to Australian industry – a cutting edge success story. AMR They regularly take on the large jobs or SOURCE the tricky jobs that require out of the box AVS Engineering thinking and the fabrication of custom tools. P 0429 991 927 One recent example was the repair of the E [email protected] W www.avsengineering.com.au rails on a 50t crane fork.

Refurbishing the mast on a 50t Omega forklift. 70 LINE BORING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

TALELine boring innovation OF applied to THECAT CAT haul trucks.TAPER These bores serve as the haul truck tapered steering components. locating and pivot points for the steering mechanism and are subjected to enormous The beauty of engineering is its design and side loads as huge hydraulic loads change construct tools and equipment to increase the angle of the front wheels to provide the volume and efficiency of human steering for trucks that can weigh over endeavours. The mighty haul truck is an 400t. Add moisture, dust and dried grease iconic example, able to move more material to these already stressed bores and it is a in one load than over 8000 workers with recipe for grinding paste and accelerated buckets. wear.

However, machines might make light of the Anyone who has driven anything from toughest work but they also wear out and a ride-on mower to a prime mover will require regular repairs and maintenance to understand that play in the steering does keep them operating shift after shift. not instill a great deal of confidence. Increase the mass a few hundred times and Our current line boring technical feature place that vehicle on a steep incline and the covers an important area of maintenance, level of confidence plummets even further. where the pin bores of almost every All levity aside, steering wear in haul trucks hydraulically operated machine must is unsafe and unacceptable. eventually be bored back to round, reclaimed with weld and machined back to New Solution a tight OEM tolerance – all while remaining In the past, the only way to repair the in perfect alignment with all the other bores tapered steering bores was to remove the in that articulated joint. entire steering box from the chassis, send them out to be machined off site and then Morgan Engineering, in Singleton, NSW, has re-weld them into place. three or four days to complete and that single box that can be transported anywhere featured regularly in the AMR and are at the translates to thousands of tonnes of lost in the country and quickly deployed onsite. forefront of modern machining techniques The very nature of cast iron welding creates throughput. The complete process has been third-party and employ the latest machining equipment its own risks and it takes a skilled welder certified to ensure both component and to provide the very best all-round service to to perform the job successfully without Following the age-old philosophy of machine integrity are maintained. mining clients. inducing cracking around the area. improvise, adapt and overcome, Morgan Engineering developed their own This extra level of quality assurance So, the AMR was interested in running this The most significant problem with this proprietary equipment and techniques to provides clients with the confidence their story on their unique solution to a very method, however, is the loss of production machine these steer box tapers in-situ – assets are repaired to specification, with an expensive problem – re-machining the caused by truck downtime. Typically, the eliminating the entire removal and offsite exceptionally high standard of tooling and tapered bores mounted on the chassis of remove, repair, replace method can take repair process and substantially reducing operator expertise. equipment downtime. Strict Repair Procedure Supporting Morgan Engineering’s extensive Once the tooling arrives on site and the work service exchange program for CAT haul centre is set up in a suitable location next to truck steering components, the company the haul truck to be repaired, the technician implemented an innovative, state-of-the- follows a strict procedure to repair worn art, process to reclaim and re-machine the tapers. chassis tapered bores back to original OEM standard. 1. The steer taper contact surfaces are thoroughly cleaned before being crack Morgan Engineering can now carry out this tested using the magnetic particle work onsite – anywhere in Australia – and method. complete the repair in only 12-14 hours as opposed to three or four days. 2. After the component has been found to be crack free, an initial inspection is The cost of the repair is around 60% less carried out to determine current steer than a new replacement part and the cost taper dimensions and wear. Again, all reductions - by saving over three-days of tapered bores are cleaned to ensure downtime on a machine - are significantly they are free from grease, oil, smeared greater again. ball stud material and other debris.

In-House Development – Third-Party Next, they are cleaned with a bore hone Certified to remove any corrosion and pitting. This unique, portable, solution was Then, bearing blue is applied to test ball developed in-house along with custom stud to taper contact. At this point, the designed and engineered tooling. The ball stud depth in the steer taper is also complete tooling assembly fits neatly into a measured. SEP2020 AMR LINE BORING 71 TECHNICAL TALK

3. The results of these measurements are 7. Once all sharp machined edges are an additional 8-weeks while the parts arrive delighted that the truck was returned to then compared to CAT’s specifications removed, and all surfaces are cleaned, – then even more time after that as the service only three days over the service to determine whether internal welding the technician tests the ball stud to time-consuming and tricky job of removing interval, not 10 weeks. The truck was back of the bore is required. taper contact again, using bearing blue, the old steer tapers and welding in the new in operation - good for another 10,000 hours to ensure the taper is finished to OEM ones was carried out. of non-stop work - and the company did not 4. If welding of the tapered bore is specification. lose over a quarter of a million tonnes of required, the surface is pre-machined to Bear in mind that this truck carries 200t production. ensure it is free from foreign material, 8. A complete final inspection is carried of material per run, it does approximately corrosion and pitting. The bore is out before the area is repainted Morgan 12 runs per shift, two shifts a day, seven This real-world example demonstrates then pre-heated before it is set up for Engineering’s ID tag is fitted with all the days a week. Over an eight-week period, exactly how cost-effective Morgan continuous welding to reclaim lost relevant details included. that translates to over 268,000t of lost Engineering’s onsite tapered steer box material. production. machining system actually is. Real World Application The newly welded part is then wrapped AMR had the opportunity to talk with the However, the mine contacted Morgan The mining company saved eight-weeks of in thermal blankets and allowed maintenance manager of a prominent gold Engineering instead. They sent their unscheduled downtime and the structural to slowly cool to a pre-determined mine in NSW in relation to refurbishment of specialised machining equipment and integrity of their truck’s cast chassis remains temperature. This minimises the risk of one of their CAT 789 haul trucks. personnel to site and also brought one intact, without the need for cutting and cracks developing from being allowed of their service exchange bell cranks with welding and the risk of inducing cracking at to cool too quickly. As part of the site’s scheduled maintenance them. the site of those repairs. AMR program, they identified significant wear in SOURCE 5. After cooling, the reclaimed taper this particular truck’s steer box and were The team from Morgan Engineering were Morgan Engineering is rough machined to more quickly then faced with a potentially very expensive able to machine and repair the two steer P 02 6572 2032 remove unnecessary weld material. dilemma. box tapers and bring them back to OEM W www.morganengineering.com.au spec. 6. To ensure a perfect fit, with perfect A new steer box had to be imported from tolerances, the bore is then finished the USA, which is not only expensive but Once complete, the mine’s maintenance to OEM specification depth. It is meant a 10-week wait for the parts to arrive. crew where able to swing back into action important for the client’s sake to ensure and carry on with completing the truck’s that the finishing depth is close to top The wear was discovered part way into the maintenance program in order to get it back tolerence of the OEM specification. This truck’s two-week maintenance program on the haul road. maximises the life of the repaired taper. (carried out every 10,000 hours) and that meant that best case, it would be down for The company’s maintenance manager was 72 LINE BORING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

KEEPINGhe process of line boring takes a on his part. TIME For a company that hires TE Line considerable amount of time, which Boring, it means one of the quickest and will depend on the size of the job and most efficient line boring services on the the wear on the bore: but what is market. Ttrue across all line boring work is that it is a meticulous process that requires sustained In a competitive line boring marketplace, concentration, exact measurement, and efficiency is the key to success. plenty of time to get things right. “We want to be competitive and get the job But that’s no problem for Queensland-based done as quickly as possible,” Tyne said. “Just TE Line Boring, which employs an efficient standing around and watching, that’s not system of simultaneous welding and who we are.” machining to effectively work on multiple bores at the same time. This system of simultaneous boring and welding comes about through TE Line And according to TE Line Boring founder Boring’s careful selection of equipment. and chief operator Tyne Carlin, this is a core feature of his business. Rather than using a standard Climax model, Tyne employs a bespoke system “Say I’m working on a dump truck tray, for designed and built by Triangle Engineering example, and the bores are 3m across, I can Consultants, a Perth-based designer and be machining on one side, welding on the manufacturer of line boring equipment. other, and setting up on the chassis. It just saves time for the company, and I’m not just The set-up is a combination of Hoffman standing around waiting for something. I’ve line boring devices and equipment from always got a job to do,” he said. Triangle, all of which are geared around a two-inch boring bar. The line boring process involves the use of specialised rotary welders and line boring The reduced weight of the bar makes it machines, which restore worn or oval pin easier for the operator to set up and use on bores to a perfectly circular shape before big machines. this oversized hole is then reclaimed with weld before being machined to OEM The lighter weight also reduces the risk of specifications. back injuries.

The system of simultaneous line boring For Tyne, the chief benefit is that the Triangle A robotic welder. combines the welding and machining system is designed by a line boring veteran, functions of the refurbishment into a unified one who knows what line borers need in and concurrent process, saving operators the field, and then organises the system and their clients valuable time and money. accordingly.

Imagine you’ve got a loader bucket with TE Line Boring is a mobile on-site operation. 150mm bores that need to be machined The need for a light-weight, versatile and back to active service. portable line boring system is thus of paramount importance. There are four on the bottom, which pivot and hold it on the machine, and four on An additional advantage is that the device the top, which make it pivot forwards and doesn’t need to be taken apart very often. backwards. The reduced need to disassemble the To work on them simultaneously, the bottom equipment means less set-up time, and set are bored out, and then the bar is taken more time focused on the job at hand. out and put through the top and left there. Multiple robotic welding machines are set “The Triangle system is the most compact, to the bottom bores, and as that process powerful and user-friendly out there,” Tyne continues, the top bores are worked on with said. the boring head. “It’s much quicker to set up, for a start,” he In this way, welders are running on the said. “And we can get into some pretty tight bottom while the boring process continues spaces.” for the top set. Though located in Chinchilla, TE Line Boring “If I was doing a bucket, there’s two sets of has been deployed to a range of mine sites pins on there,” Tyne said. spread across Queensland and NSW.

“I’d be machining the bottom ones and “We’ve been up as far as Moranbah in welding the top ones. And then I swap them Queensland, and down to Narrabri and the over, the bottom ones would be welding Hunter Valley in NSW and everywhere in while I’m machining the top. In this way, I’m between,” Tyne said. always doing something.” “We also do a lot of work in Brisbane and in Tyne said his team didn’t “just stand and the local coal mines in Chinchilla. watch the weld, before they begin the boring process”. “We’ve just focused on trying to make the whole process as quick and affordable as “We don’t just sit there to run up the hourly possible. rate, to drag the job out,” he said. “Our core focus is getting the machine back And it’s a job that can be easily dragged out. on line as quickly and safely as possible.” The welding process alone can often take up But while saving companies on time is just to three hours to complete. one of TE Line Boring’s edges, versatility is another. The TE Line Boring method incorporates a standalone welding rotating machine, The company specialises in line boring enabling operators to bore on one end and diameters ranging from 35mm to 1m. weld on the other. “It’s like you can do two jobs at once,” Tyne said. As such, the company isn’t limited in terms of the machinery it can work on. A frozen bush inserted into place via the liquid For Tyne, this means increased productivity nitrogen process. SEP2020 AMR LINE BORING 73 TECHNICAL TALK

“We can work on all kinds of bore sizes,” “And I only usually use a 1.8m long bar, and the bush into liquid nitrogen and sit it in that Induction certificate, S1 S2 S3 and G7, Tyne said. I move it from one side to the other. But until it stops boiling, and then put it in. RII permit holder and issuer, RII EWP, RII because of the acoustic alignment process I operate and maintain 4x4 vehicles, RII “It’s not a problem for us. What we do is, we stick too, I know that my bores are straight.” “Once it’s in you’ve got to commit, because working at heights and confined spaces, have extensions that we mount onto the Using a Triangle alignment gauge, the once it touches the hot bore, it starts current first aid CPR and also a list of various boring bar, and it just pushes out the cutting support bearings are perfectly aligned inline expanding and it can lock in there. site inductions. tip a little further. to the bores to be machined. “If it’s not fitting, you’ve got to back out, or go Though it’s a mobile operation that “So if we need to bore bigger diameters, A wire tensioner is attached to the outer for it, usually you’ve got a copper hammer specialises in on-site work, TE Line Boring is that’s not a problem for us. The system is support bearings, and alignment cups to the on hand to tap it in or out.” building up a specialised workshop based in versatile and compact.” support bearings in between. Chinchilla. Generally speaking, Tyne said the difference And though line boring is its prime business, A piano wire is threaded through the centre between the finished internal bore size and One advantage of TE Line Boring is that it is the company can take on a range of of the alignment cups and tensioned out to the external diameter of the bush to be an owner-operated business. affiliated jobs such as face welding and face 40kg. inserted will vary from job to job. machining. When a company hires TE Line Boring, it is The audio from the wire tells whether the “It depends on what the company wants. hiring a line boring specialist with 15 years In addition to versatility and efficiency, wire is centralised, and if the bearings need Each job is specific,” Tyne said. experience in the business, without any another interesting feature of the TE Line to be adjusted accordingly. intermediate bureaucracy getting in the way Boring service is its commitment to acoustic Furthermore, TE Line Boring has the of a clean and efficient service. alignment. The process of machining is equally experience and skill-set necessary to take meticulous. With each cut, Tyne uses an on a range of other mining affiliated jobs, Experience and range of service matched Before boring can begin, the bearings for the internal micrometer for measurement, and such as steel fabrication and maintenance with mobility and efficiency makes TE Line bar must be set up and lined up perfectly, then adjusts the cutting tool with a dial work on pumps, crushers and wash plants. Boring a top-tier option for mining operators and acoustic alignment guarantees precisely indicator. Measuring off the bar is also an throughout Queensland and NSW. AMR lined up bearings. option. TE Line Boring has acquired all the SOURCE certifications and tickets necessary to TE Line Boring “There’s a few people who use this process, “I know my bar diameter is 50.80mm, so I work on a wide range of mine sites to the P +61 407 352 281 like us, but there are a lot of people who can just measure either side of the bar, and highest levels of safety and professionalism, E [email protected] W www.telineboring.com don’t,” Tyne said. you can do it pretty quickly that way,” Tyne including the standard 11 Coal Mining said. “And the thing is, you never ever get it straight enough if you only use the bar. Speed, however, doesn’t come at the cost of accuracy or the precision of the cut. “If you imagine a two-inch bar, two meters long, if you try to hold it at each end, it’s “It’s just as accurate that way,” Tyne said. “I going to have sag in the middle. guess that just comes from experience.”

“But if you use acoustic alignment, and set The insertion of bushes and pins is a up your bearings that way, you can get it common step in the post-boring process, perfect, out to 6m without a problem, and and TE Line Boring can easily accommodate the bar just slides through beautifully. this part of the job.

“So with a dump truck tray, for example, “We shrink fit the bushes back into place when I do one of them, they’re 3m to 4m using the liquid nitrogen process,” Tyne said. across. “We heat the bores up to 120o, then freeze

The bore after a completed machine cut.

An acoustic alignment set-up with centralised wire. 74 LINE BORING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

ACE IN THE HOLE

n the mining industry, line boring is an being machined to OEM specifications. systems are available, Austin chooses to use propels the drive and feed units,” he said. essential part of machinery upkeep. AMR spoke to line boring specialists, Austin the Climax, a widely respected American- “The drive unit propels the boring bar in a Every large machine that mine operators Engineering, about what goes on in the line made machine. “We just find that it is more rotary motion, while the feed unit propels depend on, from dozers to excavators, boring process – both in-house and onsite. efficient than some of the others,” Mr Kitto the cutting tip through the bores in a Ihaul trucks to cranes, will require a pin bore said. straight, linear motion.” refurbishment during its life cycle. Near and Far Austin Engineering, founded in 1982 with a He said the boring process involved a boring Once the pin bore is enlarged and restored Line boring is the process of correcting worn national and international reach, offers its bar, with holes situated along its length for to a perfect circle – eliminating ovality and or out-of-round bores that form part of customers line boring services alongside a the cutting tips. This bar passes through the wear spots within the bore itself – material articulated joints in hydraulically operated wide array of machining and manufacturing bores to be machined. must be replaced in order to achieve the machinery. This highly precise machining services from its spare parts and machining original manufacturer’s diameter. process helps return vital equipment to divisions located in Perth and Mackay. Measurements are taken from the old bore full active service, improving operational centres and any corresponding bores (ie: This requires the use of specialised rotary efficiency and minimising expensive down Line Boring from the other half of an articulated arm) to welders which gradually deposit weld time. It also provides onsite line boring services, determine a new centreline prior to cutting. material inside the bore until its diameter is which means mine operators can save on Once the operator is certain that all pin smaller than the OEM finished size. The process involves the use of specialised transportation costs and, more importantly, bores will be in perfect alignment, the job rotary welders and line boring machines reduce out of service time for critical can commence. Then it is time to re-fit the line borer and which restore worn or oval pin bores to a equipment. Austin Engineering’s General machine the bore to its ultimate diameter. perfectly circular shape before this oversized manager of Austbore, Mal Kitto, said while “Attached to the bar is a powerpack that hole is then reclaimed with weld before several different types of portable boring drives a small hydraulic motor, which This process can involve multiple cuts,

Austbore’s onsite service vehicles are fully self-sufficient. SEP2020 AMR LINE BORING 75 TECHNICAL TALK

Years of experience and technical know-how are on-hand for any job. depending on the application, and continues other. But if there’s an object in the way, hand to shrink fit new bushes into the brand manufacture of virtually anything,” Mal said. until the exact measurement is achieved. on that centre line (namely the boring bar), new pin bores. And we manufacture those “That’s the chief competitive advantage of a you actually can’t do that with conventional pins and bushes as well at our workshop. company that offers the mining industry a “The guys are measuring as they go, internal micrometers. So, we have special That’s part of the spare parts side of our vast web of services, effectively distributed machining to the final size whether that be micrometer attachments that bridge around business. across the country,” he said. the interference fit on a bush, or some sort that area. of fit on a pin. Whatever the requirement is,” We manufacture and refurbish all kinds of “Mine operators don’t need to waste time Mal said. “The difference between the finished parts for all different kinds of earthmoving and money shopping around to a number internal bore size and the external diameter equipment from dozers through to loaders of different suppliers to fulfill their needs. This measurement process is achieved with of the bush to be inserted is typically and trucks. And we also manufacture and Because of its off-site capabilities, the kinds high-tech internal micrometers. around 5-thou but it’s application specific. repair conveyor pulleys, including the big of projects that Austin can successfully Sometimes it’s more than that.” head and tail pulleys,” Mal commented. navigate are manifold. “We have special, specific micrometer arrangements because, as you can imagine, Though precise line boring is a specialty of Wait, There’s More Whether it’s the manufacture of pins and you can’t measure directly through the bore Austin Engineering, the company can also Austin Engineering offers many more bushes, or the refurbishment and repair of centreline, often times because the bar is assist in all facets of the refurbishment engineering services than line boring. parts for dozers and trucks, Austin can take still there,” Mal said. process. For example, re-fitting of bronze or on all aspects of a complex job and see it to case-hardened steel bushes. “While line boring is an important side completion. “Ordinarily, when measure a bore diameter, to our business, we’ve grown into a full you’re measuring again through the “It’s often the tail end of the job,” Mal said. complement of machining services, “We work hand-in-glove across all our centreline of the bore from one side to the “All our onsite units have liquid nitrogen on component reclamation, the new divisions on a project” he said.

In-house manufactured quality components contribute to Austbore’s fast turnaround times. Component weld reclamation. 76 LINE BORING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

Line boring allows onsite repair of virtually any pivot point.

Spare Parts and Manufacturing comprehensive workshops here in Mackay,” Bill Brumtis, spare parts sales manager Mal said. at Austin’s spare parts hub in Perth, can attest to the company’s excellence and vast “We refurbish most items. And manufacture expertise in the spare parts business. new components. Typically, we repair a lot of dozer parts, grader components, truck “We’re established, we’re dynamic in terms components. That’s all done within our of spare parts and we’re invested in our facility. clients,” he said. This, and the precision of our line boring “We have a full engineering hub in Perth. All capabilities, puts this company out in front the IP is 99% Perth-based,” he said. of a lot of our competitors. That capability to work as a one-stop solution,” he said. Bill notes that the company has an established capacity for in-house machining With its significant investments in the most in Perth. “It’s a big component of our innovative and up-to-date equipment, the operation here in Perth. We have a number company is well positioned to serve its of line boring services out of our workshop clients well into the future. Just last year, here.” the company invested in a brand-new CNC horizontal borer. In addition to this, the Perth office excels in the service and exchange of big-ticket items. “It’s a large machine with full tool magazines,” Automated bore welding provides high quality, high efficiency weld deposition. Tyre handlers, for example, are a specialty. Mal said. “It’s part of the continual upgrade “We deal a lot with tyre handlers here,” Bill of our fleet.” said. Though now listed on the ASX under the “The knowledge and know-how of the people This ‘looking-ahead’ frame of mind is ticker symbol ANG, and though the company who are doing the training and mentoring Tyre handlers are considered to be a lifting matched to a philosophy that puts the is spread far and wide with offices located of the younger personnel who are coming device and as such require re-certification customer before all else. in Indonesia, the USA and South America, through - that tradition and knowledge is every ten years. it has maintained its foundational family- being passed on,” he said. “We’ve got our fingers in a few pies, and business ethics. The team in Perth will strip a tyre handler that’s what it’s always been about for us – For decades, Austin has served mining down to pieces, re-test everything really looking after our clients,” Mal said. “Having come from a family business interests in this country and around thoroughly, and then re-assemble and “Our clients come to us with a problem, and environment, the customer is king. It was the world with dedication and care. It is recertify these mammoth machines with we say, ‘okay, what can we do to help you always the Austbore way - how can we help heartening to know that this quality and new hoses and new seals, everything that is out?’” people? I like to think that same attitude and range of service will be available for decades needed for re-certification and to ensure a philosophy is carried through,” Mal said. to come. AMR prolonged service life. Philosophy SOURCE Austin’s philosophy of service stems from Indeed, these values of service, commitment Austin Engineering “And we also do a lot of buckets here,” Bill the roots and history of the company. and expertise haven’t been lost from Mackay Office: +61 07 4952 6222 said. “Refurbishments for buckets. We’re generation to generation. Perth Office: +61 08 9334 0666 E [email protected] not talking small excavator buckets. We’re Austin was founded in Brisbane in 1982 W www.austineng.com talking big machines. EX-8000s, big Hitachi and over the years has expanded its reach The company retains its staff for many machines. We do everything bucket-wise. and expertise through a series of strategic years, and it is their knowledge, experience From re-builds to new builds.” acquisitions, including Austbore, the original and way of taking care of customers that home for the Mackay machining workshop, gets passed on to a newer generation. “We’ve also got one of the most in 2007.

Automated bore welding can be carried out on bores from 35mm to 500mm and beyond. SEP2020 AMR LINE BORING 77 TECHNICAL TALK

www.austineng.com

Dump Bodies Buckets Water Tanks

Austin Engineering is a leading designer and manufacturer of customised dump truck bodies, water tanks, buckets, and ancillary products used in the mining industry. It is also a complete service provider, offering on and off-site repair and maintenance and heavy equipment lifting services to customers including miners, mining contractors, and original equipment manufacturers. Austin Engineering provides high quality, cost effective solutions, delivered on time and backed by through life product support.

Austin Engineering Ltd. Brisbane Head Office Mackay Perth Hunter Valley

Kings Row 1, Level G 56 Len Shield Street 100 Chisholm Crescent 29 Wallarah Road 52 McDougall Street Paget QLD 4740 Kewdale WA 6105 Muswellbrook NSW 2333 Milton QLD 4064 P +61 (7) 4952 4533 P +61 (8) 9334 0666 P +61 (2) 6541 0111 P +61 (7) 3723 8600 E [email protected] 78 LINE BORING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

Patrick O’Hara boring out an excavator quick hitch with two line borers.

MASTERSmagine having to machine a bucket wheel Metro MachiningOF co-director MACHINING Patrick O’Hara wheel job speaks volumes for the quality of where he machined the crank journals for excavator so big it needed to have the said the bucket wheel that the company service and level of workmanship that the the country’s power generation plant. surrounding shed walls torn down to worked on was shipped in from Germany in company has become renowned for. move it for servicing. three sections. Closer to home, as well as specialising in in I The business boasts clients throughout line boring and associated machining, Metro But that sort of task is all in a day’s work “It was a massive wheel the size of building Australia and also overseas. Recent jobs provides on-site and workshop services for Victoria-based rotary welding and line with lugs on the outside,” he said. “We have included work done for power plants to the industrial repair and maintenance boring specialist Metro Machining, a small machined where the joints were, and also in Nauru and the Marshall Islands. industry. engineering company that has earned a big line-bored hole circles where drive couplings reputation. were mounted. The latter assignment involved reclaiming Patrick said Metro team members had the foundations of a waterbox for the specialised skills which enabled them to Bucket wheels combine robustness with “This was a very precise operation, where Majuro power station, which had not been complete complex refurbishment and outstanding speed and high throughputs we only had 0.03mm clearance across each used for 15 years and had been strongly maintenance projects. and are used worldwide in the handling of 20 holes.” corroded. of bulk materials such as coal, iron ore, “We have the ability to work on heavy petroleum coke, limestone, bauxite, lignite, Working on the holes also provided some Metro Machining co-director Karl Hansen, equipment in the workshop or while it is phosphate, and other kinds of ore. practical challenges, such as technicians who carried out the machining, said he still in the field, delivering significant savings trying to keep a footing on the well-oiled worked on one of four diesel engines in the to plant operators by greatly reducing the These excavators are the largest machines bucket wheel at a 30° angle to reach the box and brought it up to spec. equipment downtime,” he said. found on mine sites, and it’s no surprise that drive coupling mounts. one of them is the largest land vehicle built “We machined the bore head and pull “We strive to provide a professional, cost- in human history, measuring 96m in height. “If the workmen slid on the wheel, they’d sleeves, from the mouth to the top of the effective service, regardless of the size of the slide for up to 5m,” he said. “There’s an art block,” he said. job, and whether or not it is part of ongoing As such, they need to be maintained and to standing on the equipment which we preventative maintenance, or emergency serviced regularly to ensure worn out parts quickly mastered.” “We got the contract because of word of breakdown repairs.” are repaired or replaced, or if they are new, mouth of our capabilities.” to ensure that specifications are accurately Tools of the Trade Metro also regularly undertakes repair and adhered to. That Metro Machining was given the bucket Karl also worked on the Nauru assignment, maintenance work on a wide range of plant

The company machined a MASTIS antenna for an amphibious assault ship for the Australian Navy, which involved bore work on 800mm holes. Machining a dredge bucket wheel. SEP2020 AMR LINE BORING 79 TECHNICAL TALK

A 680mm bore being machined for a Swing Stock jaw rock crusher.

Crank journals in the Nauru power plant being machined by the company. Milling a train bogey mount. and equipment, specialising in earthmoving “Boasting 25kVA 450A Denyo generator The company manufactures its own line- Other services Metro handles includes crack plant. welders, 100t on-site pressing gear and the boring equipment, such as ID welders, repair work using Non-Destructive Testing liquid nitrogen tank, we can take on any boring bars, bearing mounts, wireless (NDT), and outside diameter (OD) turning. “Our expertise includes line boring, rotary project anywhere,” Patrick said. controlled power packs and specialised welding, pin and bush replacement, face equipment for out of the ordinary works. “The onsite lathe is mounted on the end of a welding and machining, crack repairs and Metro Machining’s in-house workshop shaft and rotates around it, which allows us attachment modifications. capabilities include: The on-site milling machine was initially to build up the shaft with weld or shrink fit • Line boring custom-built to refurbish train bogies. a sleeve on it for repair in situ,” Patrick said. We can provide a total refurbishment service, • Turning (up to 5m) including everything from disassembly to • Milling (6m type bed) “There are also two 400A welders and 800A An impressive tool in Metro Machining’s reassembly,” Patrick said. • Horizontal and vertical boring machines welders, a 100t hollow cylinder pressing arsenal is its own 250l cryotank, which allows • 200t press gear, a thermic lance kit, plasma cutting, the company to provide liquid nitrogen “With our line boring, we do the whole • Slotting oxy cutting and gouging, air arc gouging and services and store the compound in-house, process: strip, line bore, insert the bushes, • Boiler making, fabrication and repair Flexi cylinder hones,” Patrick said. making it available at any time. pin it back together, and commission it.” On-site machining services include: “We also stock precision ground and “Using nitro has proven to be the most cost- Metro Machining has four mobile line boring • Line boring hardened 4140 bar stock for making custom effective method to fit multiple bushes, big trucks capable of refurbishing bores from • Inside diameter rotary welding pins. Because of COVID, custom pins are in bushes and interference fit pins,” Patrick 40mm to 1200mm and ripping out cuts of • Milling short supply, so we are making a lot of pins said. AMR 16mm per pass. • Flange facing to cater to demand. SOURCE • Key way cutting Metro Machining They consist of a Mitsubishi Canter, two • Outside diameter turning “We perform a large variety of general Unit 3/32 Onslow Avenue Isuzu 200s with 400A welders capable of • On-site hole drilling and tapping engineering works from manufacturing Campbellfield, Victoria P 0408 638 549 or 0402 256 874 boring from 35mm to 800mm, and one • Stud removal hydraulic cylinder components to making W metromachining.com Isuzu 400 with two 400A welders, 25kVA excavator H-Links and loader bell cranks, genset and 25CFM compressor capable of Metro Machining’s mobile line boring service and we also manufacture custom designed boring from 35mm to 800mm, all with oxy is supported by the permanently staffed tooling.” sets and liquid nitrogen for bush changes. factory in Campbellfield.

The water box of a Pielstick V-10 570L displacement engine being machined at the A new Komatsu WA600 bucket line boring for a Majuro power plant in the Marshall Islands. local manufacturer. 80 TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK PRECISION AND FLEXIBILITY: THE SECA WAY ust as banks are the arteries of the economy, pipelines are the arteries of any mining operation.

JIf the pipeline system of a mine breaks down, the mine breaks down with it, and as all those who work in the industry know, even just a brief suspension of operations can have a swift and negative effect on the efficiency and bottom line of a mine site.

Simply put, mines need to transfer a lot of material from one place to another and not just the particular mineral deposits targeted by the operation.

Huge quantities of water, for example, are required to run a mine. From cooling machinery and the suppression of dust to the provision of potable water and the processing of extracted minerals, all demand the efficient and unrestricted flow of water.

More than that, an uncorrupted pipeline system is a fundamental part of mine safety. Dangerous minerals and heavy metals can leak from corroded pipes, putting the safety of the workforce and the environment in jeopardy.

Preventative monitoring and inspection of pipes, then, is crucial for the long- term success of any operation, and the Sewer Equipment Company (Australia), or SECA, offers mining operators specialised technology designed to tackle the complexities of pipeline inspection, and do so with the kind of precision and intelligence that will provide a detailed and precise picture of the condition of a pipe. Tractor Inspection System are able to detect company has almost 700 iPEK systems in small cracks or signs of wear and corrosion operation throughout Australia and New The Agilios XR System offers Cracks and corrosion in pipes are common inside pipes of varying diameters. Zealand. ailments which bedevil all mining operations, advanced detection and the natural effects of working with harsh SECA National Service Manager Colin So how do they work? To begin with, let’s “monitoring technology for materials in unforgiving environments. Handley notes that his company has been take a closer look at the Agilios XR System. pipeline inspectors. selling variations of these pipe inspection SECA’s Agilios XR push camera and Rovion technologies since 1998, and to date, the THE AGILIOS XR SYSTEM ”

Developed by iPek, the Agilios XR System is a for crack and diameter measurement and flexible push-rod camera inspection device an integrated location transmitter - mean with an operating range of up to 100m, for that operators can not only effectively detect pipes with diameters between 50mm and cracks and corrosion, but also precisely 300mm, with axial and pan and tilt cameras. measure and note the severity and location of any damage they encounter during an Powered by lithium batteries or mains inspection. power, the Agilios has a six-hour battery life, giving operators the time they need to work The rod and camera are integrated with a through the inspection process with care VC500 monitoring screen, through which and precision. the operator can easily control and evaluate the inspection process. In order to move the camera around bends, flexibility is of paramount importance in The VC500 features a two-finger multi- pipe inspection technology and the cables touch display screen, with a resolution offered with the Agilios are highly flexible, of 1280x800px and a brightness level of able to take multiple 90° bends and allowing 1280cd/m2, making the navigation and operators to manoeuvre through complex inspection process clear and easy. pipeline systems. In addition, the precision of Agilios’ The cameras are also IP68 rated, making hardware is linked into the optional WinCan them suitable for harsh conditions reporting software to create a seamless and underwater or in sludge. comprehensive data collection, analysis and distribution service. The push rod, which can be supplied in 60 m or 100 m lengths, attach to iPek’s straight WinCan software allows operators to easily shot AC40 or pan and tilt PTP50 camera collect Australian WSA and NZPIM compliant heads. inspection data and then create detailed reports, which can be shared with clients These cameras offer advanced detection using free viewer software. and monitoring technology for pipeline inspectors. With LED illumination, all parts Inspection reports can be delivered and of a pipe can be clearly and reliably viewed, distributed in a variety of formats, including video recorded and photographed. via the WinCan Web feature. This is a cloud service that allows operators to transfer Furthermore, the features embedded in projects and inspection data via the Internet. these cameras - such as an integrated laser The Agilios, featuring cable, camera and control panel. SEP2020 AMR TRENCHLESS TECHNOLOGY 81 TECHNICAL TALK ROVION CCTV INSPECTION SYSTEMS iPek’s Rovion fulfills the same inspection Specifically, the Sonde is set at 33Hz and is function of the Agilios but is designed for built directly into the crawler. The frequency larger and longer pipeline systems. The can be changed to 512Hz or 640Hz. In the Rovion is a simple but effective mobile Agilios system, the Sonde transmitter is built ‘crawler’ or ‘tractor’, a camera-on-wheels into the camera head and the frequency can device that an operator inserts into a pipe be altered via the VC500 control panel. and then directs through a VC500 central control panel – as used with the Agilios. A separate locator wand, set to the same frequency as the Sonde transmitter, is ‘It’s like a remote-controlled car that’s available to help operators track the tethered by a cable,’ Mr Handley said. movement, direction and depth of the camera as it moves underground. To mark The Rovion features cable lengths between a location above ground, a simple splash of 200m and 500m and Mr Handley notes that paint or scuff-mark will suffice. the tractors can accommodate “every pipe size between 100mm and 2m”. “Altogether, the Rovion offers operators a comprehensive inspection service. It can be The ability of the Rovion to tackle multiple used to do condition assessment of a pipe, pipe sizes lies in the simplicity and brilliance look for damage or problems and locate of its design. Larger wheel options and the where they are,” Mr Handley said. mounted-camera design can be modified and adjusted to meet the inspection What is perhaps most striking about requirements of larger pipes. the Agilios and Rovion systems is the interoperability between the two. The Rovion “We have three different crawlers that gets is tethered to the same VC500 control panel Rovion – Full Arrangement us across those pipe sizes,” Mr Handley featured in the Agilios. Operators can switch said. “So, the smallest crawler can do from between the Agilios and Rovion systems as 100mm to 300mm, the middle crawler can the control systems are the same for each. do from 150mm to 1m, the largest crawler can do from 400mm to 2m.” “If you’re switching between push-camera work and tractor work, you don’t need The camera height can be adjusted so that it to learn to use a different controller or a is positioned in the centre of the pipe for an different process,” Mr Handley said. optimal view of the interior. There are two types of control boxes The cameras on the Rovion are full colour governing the Rovion tractors: one is and self-levelling. What’s more, they can portable and one is fixed. Operators can be built to suit the specific needs of the choose whichever version they prefer. For customer . As Mr Handley notes, different a portable control box, operators can stand operators have different needs and SECA beside the pipe entry point and direct the can fulfil these diverse requirements. inspection process from there.

“We have different types of cameras,” he “Alternatively, a control box can be built said. “We have one camera that just looks into a fixed structure, like a vehicle, and straight ahead, some people only need that. operators can control the tractors from We have one that can pan and tilt and look there. So, in a vehicle hundreds of metres around, we have another that can pan, tilt away, operators can view all the images, tell and zoom. It depends what the customer the crawler to drive forwards, backwards, wants.” turn around or whatever they need it to do. They can fully control the Rovion from the The quality and sharpness of the picture is remote unit,” Mr Handley said. common to all models. Flexibility to meet the needs of its operators is a compelling Like the Agilios, the Rovion also features feature of the Rovion. As Mr Handley notes, embedded WinCan software, facilitating the the company will happily adjust the design efficient transmission of data from the field to meet the specific needs of its customers. to the office.

“It’s very modular in the way it’s designed. The precision of inspection offered by the We can build a tractor system to suit a client’s Agilios and the Rovion is married to ease Rovion designed for larger pipes needs. There are three different types of and simplicity in operation. “The Rovion and camera heads, three different crawler sizes, Agilios systems are not over complicated. there are four different cable reels and two It’s very much a case of pick them up and different types of control boxes. And they are just start working with them straight away. all completely interchangeable, depending You don’t need a lot of formal training to on the application and the type of work they become operational,” Mr Handley said. are required to do,” Mr Handley said. Safety is at the heart of SECA’s offerings. Like the Agilios, a notable characteristic of Of particular interest to Australian oil and the Rovion is its ability to help detect cracks gas and underground mining operations, or damage in a pipe and measure it. “We is the fact that both the Agilios and Rovion can also do crack and gap measurement systems are available in explosion-proof, down to 1mm,” Mr Handley said. ATEX Zone 1 rated versions.

After detecting a problem in a pipe, the next “Any crawler or camera can be produced to task is accurately locating and isolating that this level of certification,” Mr Handley said. problem. The Rovion is built to swiftly and easily accomplish this using its integrated Pipe inspection is a necessary component Sonde technology. of any functional and prosperous mining operation. If corrosion or wear is allowed “Once an operator has identified ‘an issue to go unchecked, the labour, parts and inside a pipe, they can then locate it above downtime costs associated with repairing it the ground as to exactly where they are, they can be significant. also have on-screen displays with meterage and angles of incline” Mr Handley said. Therefore, comprehensive and proactive pipe inspection can save companies a “So, they know that they’ve driven 30m or substantial amount of time and money. 300m but they may not know then whether SECA’s sophisticated Agilios and Rovion the camera has veered to the left or the systems offer operators a way to fulfil this right, because it’s buried. They know that requirement with ease and precision. SECA it’s 300m away but they don’t know exactly has over half a century’s worth of experience where it is, that’s where the Sonde comes in. in the pipe inspection business and it shows With it they can pinpoint exactly where the in the quality of their hardware and control SOURCE SECA camera head is located.” systems. AMR P 1800 028 584 Rovion Variation W www.seca.com.au 82 SAFETY IN MINING AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK FIT FOR SAFETY

Jess Briggs is a heavy machine fitter at Mount Owen who loves the time and labour saving aspects of TED, shown here with Nivek’s LA-40 arm attachment.

ining is a tough and challenging The receiver on the TED is switched off, and enterprise. The complexities of a the fitter moves in to undo the bolts. Once mine site, coupled with those of completed, the fitter moves away from the large-scale mining equipment, crawl space, and using the remote control, Mmean that the shadows of workplace injury, lowers the plate and directs the TED to and even death, haunt every site across safely remove it from under the machine. Australia. In this way, the fitter is protected from crush A recent Queensland parliamentary review accidents. revealed that Queensland mines, from the year 2000 until the present, recorded 47 The receiver and transmitter are connected workplace fatalities. That’s 47 disasters for via a unique access code linked to the the affected workers and the people who receiver, and when established, fitters can loved them. operate the TED from a range of 3m to 10m. The ideal range of operation is 3m to 6m, Across the country the number is dispiritingly and more than 10m is possible, though the higher. And though death is the most severe signal begins to decay at distances greater Nivek’s Lift Assist-40 relies solely on clever threat that miners confront in their daily than 10m. spring design to give enough strength to hold work-lives, common injuries sustained at 40kg firmly at 1070mm of horizontal extension the workplace can of course also cause And though the process is remote- while also allowing easy, smooth and controlled debilitating damage and pain. controlled, none of the agility needed to repositioning by its operator. swiftly and effectively complete belly plate Helping to make mining safer is Nivek removal is lost. The TED is specifically Industries, which builds products to make designed to work in tight spaces. sure there are fewer and fewer of these workplace catastrophes. It’s a compact machine, with a length of 1.374m, a width of 778mm and a height One of its most well-known products is ranging between 315mm to 1.172m, of course the TED, or Tracked Elevating perfectly sized to fit under suspended Device - a masterpiece of engineering - to loads and the crawl spaces under heavy make belly plate removal faster and safer machinery. for fitters. Many injuries and even fatalities have occurred from dirt-laden belly guards It may have been built for a specific role but slipping and crushing workers. TED’s repertoire is expanding all the time. When it comes to moving heavy stands This incredibly versatile product was under large machinery, the fork tynes designed and built by Nivek in the Hunter make easy work of it, with the adjustable Valley, NSW. It has an SWL (Safe Working forks capable of lifting 200kg (or 400kg Load) of 800kg, can lift from just 315mm off when a rear counter-balance weight is the ground and raise to 1200mm. added). These front-mounted accessories are quickly detached with two pins for fast TED is the answer to a fitter’s prayers. It turnaround. is remote controlled, so it can be operated from a safe distance. It is powered by a Up top – on the table top – TED has a bearing- rechargeable battery and does not require mounted turntable, that make it quick and external air or power when it is in operation. simple to bolt up a range of top-mounted TED even has its own removable grader accessories. Special cradles are available blade to quickly level a pad on which to to handle cylinders of all types – especially safely operate. heavy hydraulic rams.

With the TED, the fitter can manoeuvre the When it comes to ground engagement lifting device into place from a safe distance. tools, TED has that area covered too, with Once in place, the platform of the TED a cutting-edge tool specifically designed Nivek has a range of quick release attachments elevates to support the weight of the belly to hold, angle and align heavy grader and available to fit its Lift Arm to quickly set up all plate. dozer blade edges. It means a job can now the tools required – up to 40kg each. SEP2020 AMR SAFETY IN MINING 83 TECHNICAL TALK

TED is the only remote controlled, all-terrain, hydraulic, battery operated belly plate jack on Nivek’s TED IS a crucial addition to major mining the market, greatly reducing the risk of crushing operations throughout Australia and the world. injuries/deaths from suspended loads. be done by a single operator in most cases. Its tracked wheel structure means it can Cradle attachment helps workers to safely Nivek Industries founder Kevin Cant, a fitter be deployed to any pit, regardless of the remove and replace tie rods, steel cylinders himself, narrowly escaped injury in 2008 Just when you thought there was an end environmental conditions in which it is and other cylindrical components. when the belly plate he was removing from to TED’s talents, Nivek has also released operating, at a speed between 0.7 and 1.1 a bulldozer slipped and fell. Determined a sump tray fitting that can be fixed ata km/h. Two 125cc hydraulic drive motors Its Cutting Edge Tool attachment takes the not to see this common danger threaten variety of angles to match the bottom profile propel each track of the TED. weight out of a variety of cutting edges while another fitter, Mr Cant spent three years of almost any sump pan. Once angled and they’re being removed or re-fitted. in focused research and design before locked, TED’s tray provides perfect support Though the TED was designed with safe launching the first TED prototype in 2011. of the sump after the last bolt is removed, belly plate removal and replacement as it Nivek can also build attachments for without the need for potentially dangerous core feature, the 34 attachments that can operators who require machine-specific Upgrades and improvements in the nine chocks. be added to it make this device a useful and applications. years since have made Nivek’s TED a versatile addition to a range of maintenance crucial addition to major mining operations Re-installation is also made far easier as jobs. It offers the maintenance worker The TED reduces worker fatigue and throughout Australia and the world. the already positioned sump can be lifted a stable base from which he or she can the risk of workplace injury, particularly vertically into place against the engine block. conduct a range of maintenance tasks. from commonly occurring neck, back Anglo-American, Glencore and Rio Tinto Optional extension blocks are available and shoulder strains. An improved safety Group are just some of the hundreds which enable TED’s work height to increase For example, Nivek’s ingenious Lift Assist environment coupled with reduced fatigue of mining companies that now count to 1800mm. 40 tool manipulator arm is designed to take and stress on the body means an increase Nivek’s TED as an important part to their the weight out of a wide range of tooling, in worker productivity and morale. commitment to worker safety and mine site This is ideal for applications such as steering including rattle guns, impact drivers, efficiency. rack removal, where TED can be lowered to pneumatic torque guns air sanders and Nivek’s TED is Australian-made and places only 315mm, driven under the vehicle, the more. Its 40kg SWL capacity allows these the needs and concerns of the fitter The benefits are clear. Nivek’s TED is a boost blocks added and then lifted up to 1800mm heavy tools, which can be in use for hours front-and-centre. Safety and the complex for worker security, and by extension, a to support steering components higher than at a time, to be suspended by the LA-40 arm requirements of the job are all incorporated boost to any company’s safety record and 1200mm off the ground. relieving this strain from the operator. and integrated into a simple but elegant efficiency.AMR design. This did not come about through Mines are located in harsh and difficult The company’s Track Roller Carrier some process of abstract theorising. It came SOURCE environments, and the TED is built to attachment assists fitters with track-roller about from real-life experience, and the Nivek Industries P 0418 517 359 traverse even the most challenging terrains. changeouts while keeping fingers and hands kind of detailed knowledge that experience E [email protected] clear of the crush zone. Its Steel Cylinder brings. W www.nivekindustries.com.au

DELIVERING WORKPLACE SAFETY THROUGH INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FOR HEAVY INDUSTRY

PRODUCTS With our mainstay product TED established in most mining workshops across Australia, our team has been busy designing new innovative products aimed at enhancing the safety and efficiency within the workplace. DESIGN All our products are designed in house and built with the operators and maintainers in mind, resulting in reliable, tough, easy to use and maintain machines. CUSTOMER SUPPORT You do not just purchase a machine, you purchase the full lifetime support of a dedicated OEM who pride themselves on responsive and helpful customer support. YOUR ROAD TO SAFETY STARTS WITH QUALITY PRODUCT +61 418 517 359 [email protected] Stay safe and connect with us online www.nivekindustries.com.au @nivekindustries

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t. 08t. 08 6314 63140302 0338 e. [email protected]. [email protected] www.australianminingreview.com.au/bdpwww.australianminingreview.com.au/bdp SEP2020 AMR TECHNICAL TALK 85 TECHNICAL TALK

www.australianminingreview.com.au 86 IN THE SPOTLIGHT AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK PAUL ARCHER EXECUTIVE GENERAL MANAGER (RESOURCES) OF ISS FACILITY SERVICES

ISS executive general manager (resources) Paul Archer.

Q: What does ISS Facility Services do? A: ISS entered the energy and resources sector in 2008. Since then, ISS has built an A: ISS is a leading workplace experience and impressive portfolio of clients in the mining facility management company. We are one industry, where we deliver services directly of the world’s largest providers of integrated to our client’s non-process infrastructure facility services, working with over 60,000 – within villages, at mine sites and in customers across 30 countries. townships throughout WA, Queensland and South Australia. We are experts in our field and that includes the safe delivery of catering, cleaning, We seek strong and enduring relationships technical maintenance, security and a range with our clients and create exceptional of other support services. environments for the people who live and ISS provides a diverse and high-quality fresh ISS provides a wide range of village work there - making residents’ lives easier, food offering that delights residents every time management services to 17 resources sites they come for a meal. across Qld, WA and SA. ISS is one of only a few industry players safer, more productive and enjoyable. able to self-deliver on a global scale. Our people specialise in creating great places ISS is dedicated to improving the lives of general manager. What is your vision for themselves and be the best they can be. that allows our customers to focus on their the mining workforce at each ‘touchpoint’ the company? core business and help them achieve their of their village experience. We make life We do this because we know our people purpose. easier at all points in a resident’s journey - A: Before becoming ISS’ Executive General can and do make a difference - creating a from arrival at the airport, through seamless Manager – Resources, I led the ISS New culture that fosters this is a passion for us. Whether it’s hospitals healing patients, transfers and check-ins. Zealand business for three and half years businesses boosting productivity, or mining through a large key account realignment. Q: How does ISS fit in within OZ Minerals? companies housing an entire remote We ensure their accommodation is always workforce - we’re there to help. hygienic and welcoming, and that village Before entering the facilities management A: ISS has been a proud partner with OZ operations run smoothly. industry, I had a long background in the Minerals for two years, providing village ISS’s purpose is “Connecting people and hospitality industry, having worked in many operations and maintenance services for places to make the world work better”. We also have a huge focus on hospitality senior roles within international hotel chains the Carrapateena copper mining project. and providing a diverse and high-quality around the world. From strategy through to operations, we fresh food offering that delights residents It is a comprehensive, integrated contract, partner with customers to deliver places every time they come for a meal. I feel the resources industry is ready to where ISS delivers food and beverage that work, think and give. They choose us embrace a lot of what the hospitality services, retail management (tavern and because we create, manage and maintain Why shouldn’t residents in remote towns industry has to offer and I look forward shop), accommodation management, facility environments that make life easier, more enjoy the same food experiences that to driving further enhancements in many maintenance, cleaning, laundry, aerodrome productive and enjoyable. we enjoy in major capitals in Australia or areas. Primarily, I will bring a keen focus on support and grounds maintenance. around the world? developing our people as they are the ones Q: Tell us more about ISS Australia, and who bring our offer to life at sites. We have a clear cultural alignment with the its parent company. All our employees understand the important OZ Minerals team, and that encourages role they play in fostering residents’ I will also look at ways to continue to evolve growth, innovation and collaboration. A: ISS was in founded in Denmark, happiness, wellbeing and productivity. our wonderful food and beverage offering Copenhagen in 1901. It started as a small as well as our technology solutions - we One such area of true alignment is how security firm to becoming a large global We look after our customer’s employees will continue to integrate and improve our we work together with OZ Minerals and its company that creates and drives workplace as we know this leads to greater employee technology offers, with a view to enhance focus on supporting the local economy. experiences with people who care. satisfaction and retention and ultimately the the seamless experience for our resources broader workforce’s effectiveness. clients. We concentrate on hiring locally and Since entering the Australian marketplace in growing our Indigenous workforce. 2002, ISS is now one of the nation’s leading ISS is completely devoted to the Australian Moving from New Zealand, I am operating facility service providers with an extensive mining sector and is committed to investing out of ISS’ Perth Head Office in Balcatta, We have established rewarding relationships portfolio of over 400 customers. resources and talent in this unique industry. along with ISS’ dedicated resources team, with Indigenous groups and communities While other service providers are exiting including operations managers, safety to provide employment opportunities and We have around 15,000 service professionals the sector, ISS remains a dependable and leaders and food and beverage specialists. build capability in local communities. working across every state and territory of trusted partner. We consider energy and Australia. resources as critical to our business and it is Making the world work better starts with our We have also established several a key focus for us into the future. belief in creating a fair and inclusive society. relationships with local suppliers to support Q: How does ISS help the mining and We take care of, and provide opportunities South Australian businesses. AMR resource industries? Q: You have just been appointed as for people, helping them to develop Proudly Australian owned and operated.

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MADE IN AUSTRALIA SUPPORTING AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY. pro3safety.com.au 88 TECHNICAL TALK AMR SEP2020 TECHNICAL TALK

A REVOLUTION IN RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

Lightweight, compact and smart High protection No belts or hoses Comfortable – no moisture or fogging Reusable and more economical Utilised in more than 20 countries

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