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Aussies Kicking Goals Overseas

Whether we’re dealing with a category 5 cyclone, a global financial crisis, or internet connection roughly the speed of a homing pigeon, we Australians are famous for shaking off adversity and getting on with the job.

And adversity we’ve had a-plenty in the past 12 months.

The latest report from the Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics tells us that “…the global rush to capitalise on China’s booming appetite for commodities has now resulted in too much supply hitting the markets and has pushed commodity prices down.”

This slowdown is being felt across the country with mines closing, projects put on hold and thousands of jobs being lost as business looks to cut costs and remain viable. The resources landscape in Australia has certainly changed with the peak of the investment boom now well and truly past.

So what is the future of the mining sector in Australia as the industry adjusts to a new kind of normal? Only those willing to adapt and overcome will be there to find out. And one of the ways some are preparing to ride out the current slackening of the local industry is by exporting their Aussiegrown skills and expertise to lucrative and emerging markets overseas.

As our Federal Industry Minister, Ian Macfalane said recently, “From exploration to development, export and mine site rehabilitation, we have set the pace in the productive and competitive development of environmentally responsible, economically important, world-class resources and energy projects.”

“The challenge we face is clear: if Australia is to remain a leading resources and energy  exporter, our productivity and competitiveness must rise, especially as the major discoveries that are the backbone of these industries become less frequent.”

“The good news is that Australian mining companies have been quick to adopt new technologies, resulting in the development of one of the world’s most innovative mining equipment technology and services sectors,” the Minister said.

[hr]“So what is the future of the mining sector in Australia as the industry adjusts to a new kind of normal?”[hr]

Making the most of what we have has always been a source of pride for Australians, and when it comes to mining know-how, we’re fortunate to have a lot.

In this edition of Australasian Mining Review, we’ve taken a quick snapshot of where Aussiegrown talent is making a mark overseas.

UnitedStates-CSIROUnited States

A handheld detector that reduces both the cost and time taken to remediate mine sites contaminated by petroleum products has been launched to market in the United States by the CSIRO.

The device, RemScan, developed by CSIRO and industry partner Ziltek, uses an infrared signal to directly measure petroleum hydrocarbons in the soil, giving a result in around 20 seconds.

The ability to rapidly and accurately detect petroleum contamination on site, instead of the traditional method of sending soil samples to a laboratory and waiting days for results, will enable industry to close projects or declare sites contaminant free, faster and with a greater degree of certainty. The technology has the potential to save the environmental remediation industry millions of dollars per year in laboratory and project costs globally.

Petroleum contamination as a result of leaking tanks or industrial spills is a widespread global issue with potentially serious impacts for human and environmental health.

RemScan can be used as a quick in-field screening tool to characterise contaminated sites, to validate spill clean-up areas, or to monitor ongoing contaminant degradation. In remote areas, where laboratory analysis is either not available or is prohibitively expensive – RemScan demonstrates its true value as a quick, easy to use and accurate instrument. The technology is particularly useful for the quantitative measurement of diesel, oil and crude products in soil, but can also be used as a screening tool for lighter fuels such as jet fuel and gasoline.

Successfully commercialised in Australia by Ziltek in 2012, RemScan is now in use by the mining industry and the oil and gas industries in various Australian states. CSIRO holds the recently accepted US patent for the RemScan method, which is licensed exclusively to Ziltek for global distribution.

Apart from oil detection, CSIRO is continuing to work with Ziltek to extend the technology to enable rapid detection of other soil contaminants.

Ziltek recently engaged the services of Battelle, an independent testing organisation in the United States, to test the accuracy and usability of the technology. Results of this study were presented at the Ninth International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds held May 19-22, 2014, in Monterey, California.

[hr]“The technology has the potential to save the environmental remediation industry millions of dollars per year…”[hr]

“This international conference was an ideal opportunity to launch RemScan in the US market after our success in Australia. This is regarded as the cornerstone event for the global remediation industry,” Ziltek Managing Director Dr Richard Stewart said.

The conference attracts scientists, engineers, regulators, and other environmental professionals from universities, government, regulatory agencies, R&D and manufacturing firms from more than 30 countries.

Development of RemScan was supported through the HazWaste Fund (EPA Victoria), Bio Innovation SA and the Australian Government through Commercialisation Australia and Enterprise Connect.

Indonesia-BumiBaritoProject

 

Indonesia

Queensland-based Cokal Limited will start construction on the company’s flagship Bumi Barito Mineral (BBM) coal mine project in Indonesia by the end of this year after receiving an in-principal approval from the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry.

The project marks the company’s progression from exploration company to mine developer.

Cokal Chairman and CEO Peter Lynch said a key requirement for the project had been met with the Indonesian Ministry of Forestry approving an In-Principal Forestry Permit for areas required for the mine located in Central Kalimantan.

Mr Lynch said an initial area of approximately 1,242ha has been approved by the Forestry Department to enable the development of the port, haul road and the initial development of the mine site once the conditions of the In-Principal Forestry Permit are met.

“We are pleased that the final stage in forestry permitting is nearing completion,” Mr Lynch said.

“The effort of our team to achieve this milestone in the timeframe is testimony to the way in which Cokal has been able to work in a professional manner with stakeholders from all three levels of Government.

“We have the ability to expand the operation from the initial 2Mtpa up to potentially 6Mtpa of premium coking coal for future development and this considerably increases our confidence in the success of this exciting project.”

Mr Lynch said Cokal is aiming to start construction of the mine later this year with first production targeted in the second half of 2015. Cokal has already accepted a package of up to US$150 million from financing group Platinum Partners to fund the project.

“In addition to providing written undertakings regarding the payment of relevant taxes and rehabilitation, Cokal will spend the next two to three months completing the pegging of the ‘Borrow and Use Forest Area’ and satisfying all the conditions required by the In-Principal Forestry Permit,” Mr Lynch said.

“The timing on this will mainly be driven by the boundary pegging which requires approximately 2,000 concrete boundary pegs to be put in place at the boundary of the initial 1,242ha Borrow and Use Forest Area.

“In parallel, Cokal will be finalising the Platinum loan documentation to enable final design and construction drawings for the project to be complete and long lead item orders to be placed. This parallel process has been the basis of the construction plan which will enable production in the second half of 2015.”

The BBM Coal Project is situated in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia in the prospective metallurgical Upper Barito Coal Basin, Regency of Murung Raya. The Project covers an area of 14,980ha. The Project is adjacent to the BHP Billiton’s, Indomet Coal, Joloi Project in Murung Raya Regency. BBM currently has a JORC Coal Resource of 261Million tonnes (Mt) in multiple seams comprised of 10.5Mt Measured, 13.5Mt Indicated and 237Mt Inferred Coal Resources.

Immersive-Technologies, Saudi Arabia, Kicking Goals

Saudi Arabia

Simulation based training will now be part of mining equipment operator workforce development in Saudi Arabia through one of the largest mining simulation investments in history.

Ma’aden, the largest mining company in Saudi Arabia, will utilise simulators supplied by Australian company, Immersive Technologies, to address one of the biggest challenges faced by the Kingdom – developing a skilled workforce to support the expansion of mining.

Through a partnership with Immersive Technologies, Ma’aden and Missouri S&T, hundreds of mining operators will be trained annually at Saudi Arabia’s first specialist training institute for the mining industry. Missouri S&T, a long-time customer of Immersive Technologies, signed an agreement with Saudi Mining Polytechnic (SMP), originally established by Ma’aden, and the Technical Vocational Training Corporation (TVTC) of Saudi Arabia, to provide mining training programs. Missouri S&T will utilise Immersive Technologies’ simulators in their training programs.

Missouri S&T currently uses Immersive Technologies’ simulators in their mining equipment operator training and Dr. Samuel Frimpong, chair of Missouri S&T’s Mining and Nuclear Engineering Department says “Simulators from Immersive Technologies will play an important role in helping Missouri S&T  deliver a world class training program for the Saudi Mining Polytechnic (SMP) in Arar, Saudi Arabia. Immersive Technologies and Missouri S&T have an excellent opportunity to shape the direction of the mining industry in Saudi Arabia through this workforce development at SMP.”

SouthAfrica-CSIRO

 

South Africa

Australian coal company, Guildford Coal Limited announced in July that it had secured a haulage permit which allows transport of coal from its Baruun Noyon Uul (BNU) mine in the South Gobi Region of Mongolia.

Guildford Coal Group Managing Director Mr Peter Kane described the permit from the Mongolian Ministry of Roads and Transport as a significant milestone for the company’s wholly owned Mongolian subsidiary, Terra Energy. “Negotiations for the approval have extended over 6 months so we are delighted with the news. The mine is now fully commissioned and the transport of coal to China can commence.” “The permit clears the way for coal to be exported from the Baruun Noyon Uul (BNU) Mine to Shivee Khuren, which is adjacent to the Ceke Border crossing into China. Commercial arrangements are in place for a Mongolian company to transport the coal”, he said.

“We will shortly begin the process of exporting a trial shipment of approximately 10,000 tonnes to northern China. This trial shipment is designed to confirm the down-stream logistics and processing performance.

“Final arrangements for sale will be made following processing at a facility in Ceke, Inner Mongolia with early interest already shown by a number of companies.

“The company has entered into a marketing agreement with Noble to sell coal into the China market and we are confident of the demand” Mr Kane said.

South Africa

Specialist mining software developed by Australian company RungePincockMinarco (RPM) is currently being implemented by clients in South Africa and Indonesia as well as Australia. A number of other clients from around the world are in the process of either trialling the software, undertaking a proof of concept or negotiating to acquire the product in this calendar year.

Launched with the support of SAP, the software, called XERAS for Enterprise, seamlessly integrates SAP’s Financial and Maintenance Management modules with the financial modelling capabilities of XERAS, RPM’s financial modelling product for mining.

This integration allows for unprecedented levels of financial visibility and cost control, from individual mine sites through to corporate management reporting systems, which was the key benefit behind the decision made by South African miner, Sasol Mining, to purchase XERAS for Enterprise. For Sasol Mining, it was critical that their operational systems were more tightly integrated with their corporate Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, SAP, so they could better analyse planned versus actual financial results.

The XERAS for Enterprise implementation at Sasol Mining will automatically consolidate XERAS models from multiple mine sites into an enterprise wide view of the business. Sasol Mining expect the budgeting process to be more accurate and streamlined, given that the information flow between these key systems can now be monitored and controlled. Data integrity will be maintained by functionality within XERAS for Enterprise, providing confidence to all users that they are always using “one version of the truth”.

Sasol is an early adopter of XERAS for Enterprise and as such is working with RPM to influence the product direction as additional functionality opportunities are identified during the implementation.

Namibia

In late 2012, AMEC was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Husab uranium project in Namibia.

AMEC has specific responsibility for project management and engineering, while responsibilities for procurement and construction are shared with the joint venture partner. The contract follows AMEC Africa’s completion of the definitive feasibility study in April 2011. Prior to this phase, AMEC Perth conducted an Engineering Cost Study for the project.

Following the completion of the DFS, AMEC was also awarded the EPCM contract for the Langer Heinrich Uranium Project. The project was the most significant uranium plant to be constructed outside of Canada for a number of decades and was designed to produce 2.6 Mlb of U3O8 per year over a fifteen year life of mine. The scope of work involved development of all process data, engineering design, project management, procurement and construction management.

The project was completed on time and to budget. Recently, AMEC completed the DFS for the Langer Heinrich Stage IV Expansion Project, which incorporated resin in pulp technology.

Chile

The Escondida mine in Chile has possibly the world’s largest fleet of 797 trucks. The mine is located at very high altitude and endures extreme changes in the climate. Nobody wants to work outside in these conditions so taking dump bodies off to pull a transmission out is something workers try to avoid at all costs.

It is a difficult location to get to so the company hires heavy cranes to take the dump body off. This is a costly and time consuming activity and they often have to wait 2-3 days for a crane to arrive on site.

However recently the mine has employed Australia’s own Hedweld 797 Transmission Hoist, which eliminates the need for a crane and is therefore more cost effective.

The first time Escondida used the 797 Transmission Hoist the overhead crane lowered the hoist onto the chassis rail and within 40 minutes of the truck being prepped to remove that transmission, they had the new transmission back in. It saved the company a lot of time and money. Additionally, the number of personnel required to do the task was reduced; the operation only required two people, rather than a team of 6-8 when you include crane operators.

Personnel are removed from the line of fire as there is no need for anyone to be down in the hole during the removal process. Once the final bolt it taken out they can climb up the stairs on the side of the 797 Transmission Hoist and get out of harm’s way. Using the handrails and walkways the operator now has clear vision of the transmission coming out of the hole so there is no need to rely on human communication using hand signals.

The feedback from Escondida is that it has improved the safety of the process; they can use it in the confines of one bay; it has reduced their down time, and has improved the efficiency of their transmission change outs.

South East Asia

Last year, One Key Resources opened a new office in Singapore, providing a gateway for the company to provide expert industry training, animated training technology, consulting, expatriate recruitment and contracting services throughout Asia.

“The Singapore office space provides a perfect platform for our trainers and management staff to carry out project work and meetings,” said Managing Director Grant Wechsel.

“We are excited to build on our brand and reputation in Australia throughout the international mining and resources market,” he added.

One of the ways One Key Resources will target the South East Asian, Chinese, Mongolian and Russian markets is through several animation projects. The animation technology is hosted online and can be shown to speakers of any language.

Eastern Europe

Consultancy company, AMEC, has undertaken a number of interesting projects in Bulgaria in recent years including the upgrade and expansion of the Chelopech process facilities. They completed study, detailed engineering and procurement services for a concentrator upgrade from 900,000 to 2M tpy, including a new conveying system, SAG mill, flotation cells and filter.

Staying in Bulgaria, AMEC also provided engineering and procurement services for the Krumovgrad Gold Project. The project is located in the Kardjali District of Bulgaria, about 15 km north of the Greek border. DPM will establish an open pit mine to extract and treat the ore to produce gold/ silver concentrate containing approximately 100,000 ounces of gold annually.

[hr]“Australian coal company, Guildford Coal Limited announced in July that it had secured a haulage permit which allows transport of coal from its Baruun Noyon Uul (BNU) mine in the South Gobi Region of Mongolia.”[hr]

AMEC’s services on Krumovgrad included engineering of the process plant with associated services, provision of design documentation in accordance with the EU and Bulgarian regulation, technical component of permitting application package, procurement, expediting and inspection services including the preparation of tender packages for equipment supply.

 

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