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 Mining
Media Hits Its Stride - The
April 2007 E&MJ had a significant
flop factor—a term publishers use
to describe the sound the magazine
makes when it hits the editor’s desk.
This was due in large part to the
bauma 2007 exposition that took place
in Munich at the end of April. The
print edition had more than 20 pages
covering the show and E&MJ will
publish post show coverage in a later
edition.
Held every three years in the spring,
bauma demonstrates Europe’s influence
on the mining and construction industries.
Even though many of the mines and
mills in Europe have closed, the economies
of several countries still depend
heavily on the export of mining and
mineral processing technologies ........
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Steve Fiscor, Editor in Chief
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Barrick
Demonstrates Depth in Project Pipeline
- Barrick Gold provided attendees at a company
“Investors Day” in Toronto in late February
2007 with status reports on nine projects
it is developing toward future mine production.
In outlining Barrick’s strategy as to the
metals it will mine, CEO Greg Wilkins said,
“While Barrick’s focus is on being the world’s
best gold mining company, our exploration
program and acquisitions have.......
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Coping
with Success: PDAC Presenters Suggest Methods
for Managing Boom-Cycle Issues -
Almost 18,000 people converged on Toronto,
Canada, in early March to attend the 75th
International Convention, Trade Show and Investors
Exchange sponsored by the Prospectors &
Developers Association of Canada. With the
current mining boom showing no signs of weakening,
the prevailing attitude of attendees and speakers
was upbeat—but as with any thriving enterprise,
success can spawn problems that would be of
little concern during mining’s periodic.......
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Industry’s
M&A Wave Rolls On - Merger and
acquisition activity continued apace in the
mining industry during the period of mid-February
to mid-March 2007. Here are brief summaries
of some of the action:
Xstrata Bids for LionOre:
On March 26, 2007, Xstrata and LionOre Mining
announced a friendly agreement whereby Xstrata
would acquire LionOre for about $4 billion
in cash. LionOre’s board.... read
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| Belvedere
Acquires Finnish Nickel Assets -
Belvedere Resources, a Canadian junior company
headquartered in Vancouver, reported on March
23, 2007, that it has signed a final purchase
agreement to acquire the Hitura nickel mine
in Finland from Outokumpu Mining, as well
as the 55% of Finn Nickel that Belvedere does
not already own. Hitura is an operating mine
and concentrator that currently produces 2,200
mt/y of nickel in concentrates…. read
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 Dominion
Begins Processing Ore - sxr Uranium
One reported on March 1, 2007, that its Dominion
uranium project near Klerksdorp, South Africa,
had begun processing underground ore, following
successful hot commissioning of the atmospheric
leach circuit at the Dominion mill. The new
plant also includes a pressure leach circuit
incorporating two autoclaves that will be
commissioned sequentially later in the year.
The first autoclave is expected to be ready
for hot commissioning during April, the second
during August ...... read
more
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| Cyclone
George Impacts Mining Camps - Cyclone
George barreled through Western Australia’s
Pilbara mining region on March 9, 2007, killing
two at a Fortescue Metals railroad construction
camp and temporarily disrupting operations
of the region’s two big iron ore producers—Rio
Tinto and BHP Billiton. Further afield, the
same system that led to the formation of George
dumped huge amounts of rain on the Northern
Territory. At Energy Resources of Australia’s
open-pit Ranger uranium mine, the pit floor
was flooded…... read
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| Barrick Pours Gold at Ruby Hill
- Barrick Gold announced the first gold pour
at its Ruby Hill open-pit, heap leach project
on Feb. 20, 2007, following a successful restart
of the operation 5 km southeast of Eureka,
Nevada. Ruby Hill was previously an operating
mine until 2002. The project is expected to
produce about 120,000 oz of gold at cash costs
of $240 to $250/oz during 2007. Final capital
investment for renewed production was expected
to come in below the project estimate of $75
million, including almost $30 million……. read
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Galore
Creek Receives Environmental Certificate
- NovaGold reported in late February that
its Galore Creek copper-gold-silver project
in northwestern British Columbia had received
its Environmental Assessment Certificate
(EAC) from the provincial government. Receipt
of the certificate cleared the way for issuance
of the various permits …. read
more
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| Apollo Restarts Montana Tunnels
- Apollo Gold restarted milling operations
at its Montana Tunnels open-pit gold mine
near Helena, Montana, in early March 2007.
The company stopped mining at Montana Tunnels
in October 2005, following movement in a pit
wall. The plant continued to process stockpiled
ore until May 2006, when it was placed on
care and maintenance. Montana Tunnels is now
a 50:50 joint venture…. read
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| Jindal and Bolivian Government
Set Terms for Mutún Development -
India’s Jindal Steel and Power Ltd. announced
on March 2, 2007, that it had reached a preliminary
agreement with the Bolivian government on
terms for Jindal’s planned $2.1-billion investment
in mining and steel-making facilities at the
huge Mutún iron ore deposits in eastern Bolivia.
A definitive contract was scheduled for signing
within 45 days. The announcement followed
several weeks of reports that Jindal and the
government were at odds over taxes……read
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Dolores Headed for Third-Quarter Start
- Minefinders Corp. has its Dolores open-pit,
heap-leach, gold-silver project in Chihuahua,
Mexico, on schedule and budget to begin mine
production during the second quarter and gold
production during the third quarter of 2007.
The 18,000-mt/d mine is expected to produce
more than 200,000 gold-equivalent oz/y over
an initial mine life of 15 years. Capital
cost to complete the project is estimated
at $132 million…. read
more
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Coeur Adding Mill at Martha
- Coeur d’Alene Mines is building a $13.9-
million flotation mill at its Martha silver
mine in Santa Cruz province, Argentina. The
mill will accommodate annual silver production
of as much as 3 million oz. Completion is
expected by the end of 2007. Currently, Martha
ore is processed at Coeur’s Cerro Bayo facilities
in Chile. In 2006, the Martha ore accounted
for production of 2.7 million oz of silver
and 3,400 oz of gold…. read
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Allegiance Continues to Increase Nickel
Resource Near Avebury Mine - Emerging
Australian nickel miner, Allegiance Mining,
has estimated resources for a portion of the
East Avebury and Saxon deposits recently discovered
1 km east of its developing Avebury nickel
mine near Zeehan, Tasmania. A 200-m strike
length of the deposits has been drilled on
a 50 x 100- m pattern. Preliminary inferred
resource estimates …. read
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| China
Encouraging Mines Consolidation
- China’s Ministry of Land and Resources
(MLR) is moving to consolidate the mining
operations of 15 minerals into fewer, larger
groups to improve both efficiency and safety,
according to a Bloomberg report published
in India’s Business Standard on March 16,
2007. Minerals covered by the plan include
copper, iron ore, coal, gold, manganese,
bauxite, lead, zinc, molybdenum, tungsten
and tin, antimony, rare earths, phosphorus,
and sylvite. China’s economy grew 10.7%
in 2006, the fastest pace in 11 years….
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Lonmin/IFC Partner to Support Black
Economic Empowerment - Lonmin, the
third largest producer of platinum group metals,
has formed a partnership with the International
Finance Corporation (IFC) to facilitate sustainable
community development and black economic empowerment
(BEE) in South Africa. The agreement breaks
into three parts: a standby debt facility
of $100 million that can be used to facilitate
BEE participation in Lonmin’s projects in
South Africa; an option for the IFC to invest
up to $50 million in Lonmin equity; and a
joint Lonmin/IFC $5.9-million technical assistance….
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| South
African Gold Output at 84-year Low
- Gold production in South Africa totaled
275,119 kg in 2006, down 7.5% from 2005
and the lowest national total since a strike
in 1922 reduced production to 218,031 kg,
the Chamber of Mines of South Africa reported.
For Chamber member producing companies,
production fell by 7.9% to 235,042 kg, a
1.5% increase in tons milled did not compensate
for a 9.3% decline in average grade mined.
During the fourth quarter of 2006, gold
production in South Africa was down 10%……
read more
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KazakhGold
to Acquire Oxus Gold Assets - U.K-based
Oxus Gold and KazakhGold Group Ltd. announced
an agreement by which KazakhGold will acquire
certain of Oxus’ assets, subject to contract.
These assets include the entire issued share
capital of Norox Mining Co. Ltd. which,
via its 66.67% holding in the Talas Gold
Mining Co., owns the substantially completed
gold processing plant at the site of the
…. read
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BHP
Billiton to Combine Coal Businesses-
BHP Billiton announced during early March
that, as part of the decision to manage
the Energy Coal business alongside the Iron
Ore, Manganese and Metallurgical Coal businesses,
both businesses would now be brought together
under a single Customer Sector Group President.
The current President Metallurgical Coal,
Dave Murray, will become President of Coal,
with responsibility for both the Metallurgical
Coal and Energy Coal businesses. He will
continue…. read
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 Russia Halts Work at Coal Mines After
Deadly Explosion- Russia’s state
safety watchdog has partially halted work
at 12 Russian mines after safety checks following
a mine blast that killed 108 people, Reuters
reported. “As of today work has been stopped
at 29 coalfaces at 12 mines in the region,”
said Andrei Malakhov, head of the Rostekhnadzor
watchdog in the Kemerovo region. The region
is a coal-mining center…... read
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| Metso
to Supply Equipment to Richards Bay
- Metso Minerals will supply bulk materials
handling equipment to Bateman Africa (Pty)
Ltd. for Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT)
situated on the east coast of South Africa.
The delivery, installation and commissioning
will be completed by the first quarter of
2009. The value of the order is approximately
€17 million (approx. ZAR 160 million). The
order comprises a twin-cell rotary railcar…...
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 A Closer Look at Reagent Consumption
Reagent performance is constantly improving,
but is your plant keeping up as well? Tips
on how to assess SX plant performance and
reagent usage.
By Owen Tinkler, Cytec Industries Inc.
Reagent consumption is an important consideration
in any commercial copper solvent extraction
circuit. This article examines the main factors
that influence reagent consumption and considers
the validity of comparing the relative performance
of different plants using the widely used
“Reagent Usage” metric (described as the mass
of reagent consumed in a given period of time,
divided by copper cathode production for the
same period of time). An alternative metric—
called Net Reagent Entrainment, defined as
reagent consumption during a given time period…….
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 Water Recovery with Ultraseps Technology
To whom do you turn for technology if
you want to recover water from feed containing
a high proportion of ultrafine material, specifically
the tailings from spirals plants?
For two Brazilian iron ore producers the choice
was Netherlands-headquartered Bateman Engineering.
Both AVG Mineração, which is based in Belo
Horizonte and produces lump ore and sinter
feed, and V&M Mineração, whose Pau Branco
mine is located in Brumadinho, Minas Gerais,
use spirals plants that output tailings feed
at rates between 90–95 mt/h. First, representatives
of the two companies were shown Bateman-Ultrasep
thickening technology in South Africa and
visited operating installations. Following
studies of process data and test work with
client samples at Bateman Engineering’s Johannesburg
laboratories, the solution offered to each
of the Brazilian operators was the use of
a 10-m-diameter Bateman-Ultrasep thickener,
one of the larger sizes in a range covering
0.5- to 12-m diameter. Bateman says this......
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 Diesel developments
New compact engines share the
spotlight with their big-bore brethren
By Russell A. Carter, Managing Editor
Think “mining diesel,” and generally
what comes to mind is an eight-ton, 16- or
20-cylinder, twin-turbo’d beast bellowing
under the strain of a 360-ton payload. But
the reality is that there are many more medium-
and small-sized diesel engines at work in
mines, powering drills, utility vehicles,
pumps, generators and other equipment. The
large mining-class diesel engine segment—750
hp (560 kW) and up—has drawn a lot of attention
in recent years as the industry’s demands
for greater loading and haulage capacity escalated….
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 Benefits of Using GPS Guidance on Excavators and Shovels
By Chris Seymour, Automated Positioning
Systems
GPS-based control and guidance systems for
mining and earthmoving equipment have been
in use for a number of years. These systems
have proven themselves in rugged applications
as a way of cutting costs, increasing accuracy,
reducing contamination and improving site
safety. High-precision GPS-based guidance
systems on mining excavators and shovels offer
a number of key benefits to mine operators.
These include:..... read
more
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 Volvo CE to Expand Driveline Components
and Introduce New Loader Concept-
Volvo CE let its designers imagine the wheel
loader of the future, and the Gryphin, shown
here, is the result. The machine will employ
an electric hybrid power source and will be
almost emissions-free, according to the company….
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 Modular Beds for Conveyor Protection-
ASGCO Manufacturing’s modular impact beds,
the newest in their line of load zone support
systems, are designed to provide impact protection
for conveyor belts as well as a tool to help
control spillage in the conveyor-loading zone.
The system consists of multiple 18-in.- long
x belt-width units that are closely fitted
to form the bed length needed. The supplier
says…. read
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 Versatile Tool Carrier from Cat-
Caterpillar’s new IT62H integrated tool carrier
is designed to deliver superior performance
and versatility in a wide range of material
handling applications, according to the company.
Its versatility derives from three key features:
a hydraulic quick coupler, parallel lift linkage
and a wide range of work tools. The hydraulic
quick coupler allows quick changing of work
tools, with many tool changes able to be made
without the operator leaving the cab…… read
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 New
Technology Improves Splice Strength
- Preform conveyor belt splicing from Goodyear
Engineered Products is claimed to cut mine
operation downtime and create stronger splices.
Goodyear says tests indicate the patented
splice process offers up to 33% more dynamic
life than conventional splices, which require
the installation of individual rubber strips
called noodles between each steel cord across
the width of the belt. To keep the cords and
noodles in position, rubber cement is applied
before top and…. read
more
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 Grease
Selection Guide- Anderol has released
a new grease selection guide aimed at helping
personnel with specific grease application
needs. The brochure provides a step-by-step
guide to selecting the most effective grease
based on application requirements and OEM
specifications. According to Anderol, the
guide has been developed specifically for
end users involved in maintenance, repair
and operations…. read
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 Atlas
Copco Upgrades Mine Truck - Following
the introduction of the ST1030 Scooptram model
(E&MJ, November 2006, p. 87), Atlas Copco
also has upgraded its Minetruck MT2000 to
MT- 2010. The primary objectives were to improve
serviceability and to reach higher levels
of availability and reliability. Many of the
changes are similar to those on the Scooptram
ST1030, including fitting a new engine and
a redesigned electrical system. The major
improvement is the change of engine….
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 Chinese
Iron Ore Mine Choose Giamec Chargers-
Swedish tunneling and mining equipment specialist
GIA Industri has delivered three Giamec 211
charging trucks to the Da Hong Shan iron ore
mine at Yuxi county, in Yunnan Province, China.
This operation is undergoing major development
by Kunming Iron and Steel, under the supervision
of…. read
more
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| Ore
Pass Measurement System- The Agellis
Group, based in Lund, Sweden, has added
the pt UM1101 ore pass measurement system
(“pt” signifies Performance Technologies)
to its range of products. The system can
measure ore levels in an ore pass over lines
of sight and in adverse conditions. The
continuously measured data can be used to
improve ore handling in the pass, control
stock levels….read
more
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 Corrosion
Resistant Dewatering Pumps- ITT-Flygt’s
Model BS-2750 is the first in a series of
corrosion resistant submersible pumps designed
to be extremely wear resistant, robust and
easy to maintain. Ordinary submersible pumps
are designed to be used in the pH range of
5-8…. read
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| MAY 10-11, 2007: Industry Summit on Mining
Performance: Continuous Business Process Improvement
(BPI) in the Mining, Energy, and Extractive
Industries, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Presented
by Pennsylvania State University, Colorado
School of Mines and the University of Arizona.
Web: http://www.outreach.psu.edu/C&I/BPI
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MAY 16-18, 2007: Strategic Risk Quantification
and Management for Ore Reserves and Mine Planning,
Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Contact: Chantal
Murphy; Tel: 514-939-2710; Fax: 514-939-2714;
E-mail: cmurphy@cim.org;
Web: http://www.cim.org
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| MAY 18-20, 2007: 3rd
China International Metals Industry Fair,
Guangzhu, China. Contact: Qiu Guangjun
or Tian Yonghong; Tel: 86-10-65132109 or
65131905; Fax: 86-10-65248384; E-mail: mail@metalsfair.com;
Web: http://www.metalsfair.com
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| MAY 23-27, 2007: Geological
Association of Canada/Mineralogical Association
of Canada Annual Meeting 2007, Yellowknife,
Northwest Territories, Canada. Contact:
Geological Association of Canada; Tel: 709-737-7660;
Fax: 709-737- 2532: E-mail gac@esd.mun.ca;
Web: http://www.gac.ca
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| MAY 30-31, 2007: Fourth
International Symposium High-Performance
Mine Production, Aachen, Germany. Contact:
Mirjam Rosenkranz, Aachen University; Tel:
49-(0)241-80-9 5673 or -9 5667; Fax : 49-(0)241-80
92-272; E-mail: rosenkranz@bbk1.rwth-aachen.de
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 Alcan
Inc. has named Corey Copeland
senior VP, Investor and Corporate Relations.
He succeeds Daniel Gagnier,
presently senior VP, Corporate and External
Affairs, who is retiring. In addition, David
McAusland, executive VP, Corporate
Development and chief legal officer, will
assume the leadership of the company’s Government
Relations function and Jean-Christophe
Deslarzes, senior VP, Human Resources,
will assume the leadership of the company’s
Business Sustainability, Environment, Health
and Safety-EHS FIRST and Corporate Security
functions. |
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 KazakhGold
announced the following changes to its board
and management team: Kanat Assaubayev,
currently CEO, has been appointed executive
chairman; Peter Daresbury
has stepped down as non-executive chairman;
Darryl Norton joined the
board as an executive director and joint
managing director; Steve Westhead
has been named chief geologist and project
manager; and Geoff McLoughlin
has been named chief metallurgist.
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 Minco
Silver Corp. announced the appointment of
Timothy D. Marlow as VP,
Operations. |
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 Komatsu America Corp. announced the appointment
of Greg Hewitt as VP and
general manager, responsible for all North
American Construction Operations. |
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 Northland
Resources Inc. announced the appointment of
Aurelian Bukatko as CFO.
Current CFO, Bill Wagener,
will assume the role of COO. |
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 The Engineering
Institute of Canada recently presented Peter
Lighthall with one its highest honors
at its annual awards ceremony in on March
3. Lighthall’s leadership in the environmental
management of mining projects singled him
out for the Canadian Pacific Railway Engineering
Medal. This is Lighthall’s second major achievement
award from the Engineering Institute of Canada.
In 2005, he was awarded a Fellowship of the
Engineering Institute of Canada for his technical
achievements and leadership in tailings dam
engineering. He also received a Fellowship
in the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
for service to the Institute and his career
achievements; and two service plaques from
the Canadian Geotechnical Society. |
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 Gundlach Equipment Corp. announced that it
has promoted Mark L. Kohler
to general manager. |
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