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Exploration
Exploration Efficiency Evaluated....read more

Shotcrete
21st Century Support.... read more

Truck Driver Training
Haul Truck Operator Training......read more

Pit Planning and Design
Technology Allows Mine Planners to Consider More Detail......read more

VIDEO PRESENTATIONS

Atlas Copco - Minetruck MT 42
Superior productivity in underground haulage......view

Sandvik Mining and Construction
Bringing knowledge and innovation......view

PowerScreen
Mobile Crushing Expert......view

EnsSolutions
Tailings Control......view

Mine Master
Specialists underground......view

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Australia Government Proposes Massive New Mining Tax - The global financial crisis that began in October 2008 affected almost everyone. It wreaked havoc on financial systems in several countries. Investors saw as much as 30% or more of their wealth evaporate. Unemployment rates soared in many parts of the developed world. The Australian economy, however, did not really suffer through a recession. Why? One of the main reasons is the country’s mining industry. Whether it’s iron ore in Western Australia or Queensland’s coal, the ships serving Asian markets are lining up off Australia’s shores. Saying that Australians had increasingly missed out on the benefits of the mining boom, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Treasurer Wayne Swan proposed the Resource Super Profit Tax during early May. The scheme amounts to a 40% tax on mining industry profits. Apparently, these politicians are already getting ready to catch the next wave, which they have named Commodity Boom Mark II. They plan to use the proceeds from the resource tax to increase the Australian pension fund......... read more

Steve Fiscor, Editor in Chief

2010 Vol 04 - CONTENTS

NEWS
Newcrest Developing Australias...

Jinchuan Makes All-cash Offer...

Rio Tinto to Spend $340M...

Court Allows Mining to Continue...

COAL
'This month in coal'

EQUIPMENT NEWS
Suppliers Reports & Equipment Gallery

AROUND THE WORLD
US & Canada

CALENDAR
Conferences & Exhibitions

VIDEO PRESENTATIONS
Product Videos

NEWS

Newcrest Developing Australia’s Largest Underground Mine -Newcrest Mining is investing A$1.91 billion to develop an underground panel cave mine to extract the Cadia East orebody as the next major ore source for its Cadia Valley operations in central western New South Wales, 250 km west of Sydney. The orebody is one of the world’s largest gold deposits, with a current reserve of 961 million mt grading 0.61 g/mt gold and 0.33% copper and containing 18.7 million oz of gold and 3.16 million mt of copper. Indicated and inferred resources total 2.3 billion mt grading 0.44 oz/mt gold and 0.28% copper for 33 million oz of gold and 6.59 million mt of copper......... read more

Jinchuan Makes All-cash Offer for Crowflight - Crowflight Minerals reported on April 6, 2010, China-based Jinchuan Group had submitted an offer to acquire all of Crowflight’s common shares for an aggregate cash payment of C$150 million. Crowflight’s primary asset is its underground Bucko Lake nickel mine near Wabowden, Manitoba, Canada. Jinchuan is the largest producer of nickel, cobalt and platinum in China, and a significant producer of copper. The offer represented a premium of 47.3% to the closing price of Crowflight common shares....... read more

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Rio Tinto to Spend $340M for Autoclave Plant - Kennecott Utah Copper announced in mid-April that its parent company, Rio Tinto, will spend $340 million to build a new Molybdenum Autoclave Process (MAP) facility in Magna, Utah, near Salt Lake City. The new facility, according to the company, will allow lower-grade molybdenum concentrate to be processed more efficiently than with conventional roasters, provide improved molybdenum recovery and operating flexibility..... read more

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Court Allows Mining to Continue at Cortez Hills - Barrick Gold Corp. said a mid-April U.S. District Court decision allows mining to continue at its Cortez Hills mine in Nevada, USA, while the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) completes a study of three aspects of the project identified in a 2009 ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Barrick began construction of the project in late 2008 following BLM approval of the company’s plan of operations. Soon after, a coalition of three environmental activist groups and two Western Shoshone Tribes asked the District Court to stop the project. Barrick and the BLM, co-defendants in the case.... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - USA & CANADA

Allied Nevada Expanding Hycroft Gold and Silver Production - Allied Nevada Gold has announced plans to increase production at its Hycroft oxide heap leach operations in Humboldt county Nevada, 54 km west of Winnemucca, from about 100,000 oz of gold in 2010 to 250,000 oz by 2012 and more than 300,000 oz/y in 2013 and 2014. Average annual silver production is expected to increase to more than 1 million oz/y. At the same time, Allied Nevada reported receipt of a scoping study of development of Hycroft’s measured and indicated sulphide resources that contemplates production..... read more

Canada Lithium Plans Mine Startup by Late 2012 - Canada Lithium Corp. has received a positive, NI 43-101 compliant prefeasibility study of its Quebec Lithium project 60 km north of Val d’Or, Quebec. Prepared by BBA Inc. of Montreal in conjunction with SGS Lakefield, Golder Associates, Genivar Inc., and Caracle Creek International Consulting, the study proposes a Stage 1 open-pit operation producing 2,950 mt/d of ore and 19,300 mt/y of high-quality Li2CO3 on site. Total initial capital costs are estimated.... read more

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Seabridge Receives PFS for KSM Gold-Copper Project - Seabridge Gold has reported results from an NI 43-101 compliant preliminary feasibility study (PFS) prepared by Wardrop of Seabridge’s 100%-owned KSM (Kerr- Sulphurets-Mitchell) gold-copper project in northern British Columbia. The study is based on estimated proven and probable reserves of 30.2 million oz of gold contained in 1.60 billion mt grading 0.59 g/mt gold derived from estimated total measured and indicated resources of 38.9 million oz of gold contained in 2.1 billion.... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Latin America

Inmet Reports Positive Outlook for Cobre Panama Project - On March 31, 2010, Inmet Mining reported positive results from a front-end engineering and design study for its Cobre Panama project in Panama. The study, completed by AMEC Americas, contemplates construction of an open-pit mining operation, concentrate pipeline, and port at a total capital cost of $4.32 billion. Production of metal contained in concentrates over a 30-year mine life is forecast at 255,000 mt/y of copper, 90,000 oz/y of gold, 1.51 million oz/y of silver…… read more

Minefinders Planning to Add Mill to Dolores Operations - Minefinders Corp. has received the results of an independently prepared draft prefeasibility study assessing the addition of a mill to its Dolores heap leach gold operations 250 km west of the city of Chihuahua, Mexico. The company is advancing to a detailed feasibility study, which will evaluate additional mill options. The prefeasibility study considers the addition of a 6,500-mt/d mill to the existing 18,000-mt/d heap leach operation, with anticipated production…. read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Australasia

Xstrata Plans Deepening of Its Black Star Open Cut - Xstrata Zinc announced on March 30 plans for an A$133-million project to deepen the Black Star open cut mine at its Mt. Isa operations in Queensland, Australia. The project would extend mining at Black Star to 400 m below ground surface, 100 m below the current design; add about 14 million mt of ore to the mine’s production profile at a production rate of up to 4.6 million mt/y; and extend mine life to 2016. A feasibility study of the project included detailed geotechnical analysis and studies into air quality…. read more

Galaxy Achieves 100% Sales Offtake for Mt. Cattlin - Emerging lithium producer Galaxy Resources reported in mid-April 2010 that it has signed long-term off-take agreements that will absorb 100% of the production from its Mt. Cattlin lithium project now under construction 2 km north of Ravensthorpe in southern Western Australia. The buyers include Mitsubishi Corp. and 13 major Chinese lithium cathode producers. The hard rock Mt. Cattlin spodumene mine and concentrator are designed to produce…. read more

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AROUND THE WORLD - Asia

Engineering Progresses on Siana Gold Project - Red 5 Limited, a Western Australiabased gold exploration company listed on the ASX, has awarded TWP Australia the EPCM contract to develop the plant and associated infrastructure at the Siana gold project in the Surigao gold district of the Philippines. Red 5 holds a 90% interest in the project. TWP Australia said it has commenced preliminary engineering work and reviews, including optimization of the project schedule. Red 5 Limited said the project schedule is based on a fast-track approach with…. read more

Alamos Completes Turkish Asset Scoping Study - Alamos Gold has released the results of a scoping study of the Aği Daği and Kirazli gold properties in northwest Turkey that it acquired from Teck Resources and Fronteer Development in January 2010. The properties are located approximately 25 km from each other on the Biga peninsula in Çanakkale province. The scoping study assumes the deposits will be mined by open-pit methods and that the Aği Daği and Kirazli properties will each have .…. read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Africa

Gold Fields Extending South Deep Ventilation Shaft - Gold Fields reported on April 21, 2010, it has started the depth extension of the South Deep Ventilation Shaft, a crucial milestone in the development of its South Deep mining complex in South Africa. The ventilation shaft is the second of the two shafts that together form the Twin Shaft complex at South Deep. The first shaft, the Main Shaft, was completed in 2004. The ventilation shaft will be extended from its current depth of 2,760 m to 3,000 m. The deepening …. read more

Modder East Au Production to Double in 2010 - ASX-listed Gold One International said it expects to double production rates this year at its flagship Modder East gold mine in South Africa. Gold One International President Neal Froneman said the Modder East underground mine was relatively "shallow" at about 300 m compared with more typical 2,000-m-deep South African gold mines, enhancing mine margins and productivity rates. "We have commenced a scale-up in production and are currently running at around…… read more

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THIS MONTH IN COAL

America Mourns the Loss of UBB Miners; Massey Energy Prepares to Defend Itself - More than 2,000 gathered for a memorial service in Beckley, West Virginia, for the miners who perished in the worst U.S. mining accident in 40 years. The remains of the four missing miners from Upper Big Branch (UBB) mine were located early Tuesday morning on April 13, 2010, bringing the total fatalities to 29. The miners were killed in an explosion that occurred at shift change during the afternoon of April 5. Massey Energy’s UBB mine is a longwall operation located in southern West Virginia near the community of Montcoal …. read more

Peabody Ups the Ante for Australia’s Macarthur Coal - During mid-April, Peabody Energy raised its bid for Macarthur Coal Ltd. To A$16/share from A$14/share, valuing the company at A$4.1 billion ($3.8 billion). Meanwhile New Hope added a cash element to its previous all-stock offer. Noble Group shareholders voted against selling their stake in Gloucester Coal to Macarthur, eliminating the primary obstacle in the way of both the Peabody and New Hope takeover bids. Peabody began its pursuit of Macarthur during late March…. read more

Australia’s Coal & Allied Plans Production Boost - Rio Tinto subsidiary Coal & Allied plans to increase output from its NSW mines by up to 70% in the next four years as the clogged Hunter Valley coal chain, which includes Newcastle port, improves. According to The Australian, the company plans to boost production from about 20 million metric tons (mt) a year to between 40 million mt and 43 million mt in 2014. About $5 billion of new port and rail infrastructure is planned in and around Newcastle over the next four years under a long term framework deal struck last year …. read more

Mechel Announces Progress at Elga - Mechel OAO in making progress on developing the Elga coking coal deposit. At the beginning of February, two heavy machinery convoys had already reached the Upper Ulak railway construction site (Amur Region). The equipment will be used to develop the Elga coking coal deposit. There will be five equipment and machinery convoys in total. They are expected to deliver all necessary equipment and materials to start.…... read more

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China Becomes Net Importer, Mine Fatalities Drop - According to China’s National Energy Administration (NEA), in 2009, China imported 126 million metric tons (mt) of coal and exported 22.4 million mt, which creates a net import of 103 million mt coal for the first time. The NEA said low coal prices made imports more affordable for power plants serving China’s south coastal cities. Moreover China’s economy recovers and so does coal demand. Meanwhile, China’s State.…... read more

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FEATURE - Exploration

Exploration Efficiency Evaluated
Are current exploration programs effective in maintaining adequate mineral reserves? Speakers debate the question at the record-breaking 2010 PDAC convention

By Russell A. Carter, Managing Editor

Following a year in which mineral exploration budgets plummeted, mostly from financial strain in the junior company sector, attendance at the 2010 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention and trade show exhibited few signs of waning interest in exploration issues. According to PDAC, total attendance at this year’s annual event was a record 21,660, surpassing the 2008 convention’s 20,168 attendees, with roughly 1,000 companies participating in either the trade show or investors exchange……. read more

For more companies with products in the Exploration market - Go Here

FEATURE - Shotcrete

21st Century Support
Shotcrete technology evolves as both equipment manufacturers and chemical companies strive to improve performance

By Simon Walker, European Editor

Although invented as a constructional material in the early 1900s, shotcrete is essentially a late-20th Century means of support. The development of the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) in the late 1950s and early 1960s provided a major boost to its use in rock support, with the mining industry then picking up the baton from its construction counterpart. The NATM concept relies upon the use of shotcrete to provide immediate active support after each round of advance, with additional support then being installed with a combination of rockbolts, cable bolts and either sprayed or cast permanent concrete linings. Essentially, the shotcrete is used to prevent initial deformation of the heading profile and to allow the rock-mass structure to remain self-supporting until the later stages of support can be installed...... read more

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FEATURE - Truck Driver Training

Haul Truck Operator Training at the Esperanza Mine Project
A three-pronged approach to selection and training provides an 80%-plus success rate

By Rodrigo A. Díaz Bórquez

The Esperanza copper-gold project, situated in the Sierra Gorda district of Antofagasta, northern Chile, is jointly owned by Antofagasta Minerals (70%) and Marubeni Corp. (30%). Management understands that, as the first low-grade sulphide copper-gold project in Chile, development of an effective training process for unskilled labor is a strategic task for constructing its company culture and achieving productivity targets. The training process at Esperanza includes extensive use of simulators and relies heavily on feedback relative to behavior and culture from the instructor to the apprentices. This article describes the results obtained from training 59 apprentices in haul truck operation …... read more

For more companies with products in the Training market - Go Here

FEATURE - Pit Planning

Technology Allows Mine Planners to Consider More Detail

Integration and communications are the key to preserving value over the life of mine

By Steve Fiscor, Editor-in-Chief

EMine planners are under constant pressure to create long- and short-term plans that represent optimal mining strategies using a complex set of data inputs. As much as mine financiers and executives would like a long-term plan to be set in stone, the reality is that mine plans are dynamic works in progress. With proper planning and design, a mining company can develop a plan to extract minerals at the highest rate of return on investment..... read more

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SUPPLIERS REPORTS & EQUIPMENT GALLERY

Lihir Gold Installs Elevated Thickeners - FLSmidth has been awarded a contract to supply two elevated thickeners for the expansion program at Lihir Gold Ltd.’s (LGL) gold mine on Lihir Island in Papua New Guinea. Each of the two 7,500-m3/h-capacity thickeners will be 48 m in diameter and will be fitted with a hydraulically driven bridge drive, making them among the world’s largest bridge-drive thickeners. They will be designed and fabricated in Australia, supplied "piece large" to accommodate the restricted lay down and site construction areas on the island, and barged to site …. read more

Vertical Mills Gain Size While Drives Get Simpler - Two recent developments in vertical mill applications highlight the industry’s increased focus on energy-efficient grinding of ores and construction materials, as well as on improved electrical performance and safety features of vertical mill drive systems. Metso reported the first 3,000-hp (2240-kW) Vertimill (VTM) will be installed at Newcrest Mining Ltd.’s Cadia Valley gold mine in New South Wales, where it will operate in a tertiary grinding circuit. According to Metso, the Cadia operation already has several smaller Vertimills running in regrinding circuits, with another VTM grinding SAG…… read more

Gas Detectors for Mine Applications - U.K. based Trolex, which specializes in safety monitoring equipment, notes that its STX3241 and STX3261 toxic and flammable gas detectors and TX5920 Vortex air flow sensors have been used to monitor CH4, CO and air flow at the Svea Nord mine in Norway. The sensors have a high-strength molded housing sealed against dust and moisture to IP65 standard and EMC protection, making the systems reliable in the extreme, arduous conditions in the mine. All the sensors have ATEX M1 approval. The STX3261 is a robust, dust and waterproof pre-calibrated gas detector which utilizes a…. read more

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Versatile Underground Diesel-Powered Tractor - Fairchild International, a manufacturer of underground mining equipment, offers the Model 35C-WHPDT Workhorse permissible diesel tractor, the latest addition to the company’s line of permissible and non-permissible diesel-powered underground scoops. The tractor features a fifth-wheel hitch that can be located as specified by the customer and is part of a system for transporting materials, supplies and equipment to underground mines through the toughest conditions faster and more efficiently than other equipment. The unit also can be converted to a utility scoop by removing the fifth wheel .…… read more

Battery-Powered Unit Monitors Machine Conditions Wirelessly - SKF says its Multilog On-line System WMx is designed to improve machine reliability, reduce installation costs and increase personnel safety in industrial applications. Multilog WMx is a compact, battery-powered, eight-channel, field-mounted monitoring device that communicates using standard 802.11b/g wireless networking. It collects acceleration, velocity, displacement, temperature and bearing condition data and uploads it to proprietary SKF software for viewing…. read more

Hoist Chain System is Lighter, Safer - Industrial-chain specialist RUD announced its ICE Grade 120 Mecano hoisting chain system was recently recognized with an award from a prestigious German industrial insurance organization (BG RCI). The Mecano system comprises a range of slings for safe lifting and moving of heavy loads, incorporating a novel, patented steel to provide improved performance. The system, according to the company, combines heavy lifting capability with lightweight construction, as net weight can be reduced as much as 30% compared with competing systems—an important consideration for workers subject…. read more

Filter Press Line Features Shorter Cycles - Micronics reports that the line of LASTA MC (mining concentrate) filter press it distributes for Japanese manufacturer Ishigaki Co. Ltd. is successfully dewatering mine tailings and mineral concentrates throughout the world, with more than 100 machines in service—many with over 20 years of trouble- free operation. Ishigaki’s Sakaide, Japan, factory designs and produces the LASTA MC filters, which are claimed to offer short filter cycles and discharge filter cakes faster than conventional machines. Micronics says Ishigaki is currently the only manufacturer of fully automatic.…. read more

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Tire Pressure Monitor System Installs - Easily Doran Manufacturing’s 360CE tire pressure monitoring system is designed for mobile equipment used for mining, construction and earthmoving applications. According to the company, programming and installation of the digital LCD display and valvemounted sensors can be accomplished without any special tools in less than an hour. The sensors are made from highimpact nylon and include potting material to secure internal components and provide protection against vibration and.….read more

Solar-Powered Wireless Communications - Carlson Wireless Technologies has integrated a new Power over Ethernet (PoE) device into its solar-powered wireless product line. According to the company, the new PoE unit increases system efficiency by up to 45%, allowing for greater solar system run times. Other benefits include reductions in required solar panel size as well as the elimination of costly inverters. Carlson Wireless engineers also note that the new PoE allows a significant increase in powered…. read more

CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS

JUNE 8–10, 2010: Euro Minexpo 2010, Skellefteå, SwedenContact: Nolia; Tel: +46 (0)60 55 00 06; E-mail: info@eurominexpo.com; Web: www.eurominexpo.com

JUNE 8–11, 2010: ACG Advanced Application of Seismology in Mines Seminar, Perth, Western Australia Contact: The Australian Center for Geomechanics; E-mail: acg@acg.uwa.edu.au; Web: www.acg.uwa.edu.au/events_and_courses

JUNE 13–17, 2010: 13th U.S./North American Mine Ventilation Symposium, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.Contact: Dale McKinnon; Tel: +1 (705) 675-1151 ext.5074; E-mail: dmckinnon@mirarco.org ; Web: www.mirarco.org/minevent

JUNE 14–17, 2010: SDIMI 2011, Sustainable Development Indicators in the Minerals Industry, Aachen, Germany Contact: Mirjam Rosenkranz; Tel: 49-(0)241-80-9 5673; Fax: 49-(0)241-80 92-272; E-mail: i.me.journal@hotmail.com or sjayanthu@rediffmail.com

JUNE 29–30, 2010: ACG Open-Pit Rock Mass Modeling Seminar, Perth, Western Australia. Contact: The Australian Center for Geomechanics; E-mail: acg@acg.uwa.edu.au; Web: www.acg.uwa.edu.au/events_and_courses

JULY 26–28, 2010: Africa Mining Congress 2010, Johannesburg, South Africa. Contact: Steel & Metallurgy; Tel: 91 33 32906314; Fax: 91 33 24415700; E-mail: info@steelmetallurgy.com;

AUGUST 6–7, 2010: 5th International Iron & Steelmaking Conference, Visakhapatnam, India Contact: Nolia; Tel: +46 (0)60 55 00 06; E-mail: info@eurominexpo.com; Web: www.eurominexpo.com

AUGUST 24–26, 2010: Argentina Mining 2010, San Juan City, Argentina Contact: Carolina Martínez Hansen; Tel: 54 (261) 424-3479; E-mail: carolina@argentinamining.com; Web: www.argentinamining.com

For a full calendar of mining industry conferences and events - click here

VIDEO PRESENTATIONS

Atlas Copco - Minetruck MT42
BSuperior Productivity in Underground Haulage. This high-speed 42 tonne articulated truck has been designed to maximize productivity as well as provide increased safety and excellent operator comfort in underground haulage applications. The Minetruck MT42 is now available in Scandinavia and Canada and will be launched globally in 2011. The Minetruck MT42 is powered by a Cummins QSX15 520 hp EPA Tier 3/Stage IIIA engine, coupled with proven drivetrain components, delivering reliable performance and high speed on ramps... watch the video

Sandvik - The Company
Sandvik Mining and Construction proudly presents its company movie. In the movie you can experience our values, customer focus and products in action... watch the video

PowerScreen - The Mobile Crushing Expert
Powerscreen is an expert in the design and manufacture of mobile crushing, screening and washing equipment.Galvanising global resources, decades of experience and in-depth industry knowledge to bring to the market a comprehensive product portfolio for the quarry, mining, and recycling industries.Powerscreen products operate in the toughest environments and feature nominal set-up times, market leading productivity rates and excellent reliability... watch the video

EnsSolutions - Tailings Control
The Next Generation of Soil Stabilization Emulsion.
EnsSolutions manufactures, distributes and applies organic liquid emulsions to meet industrial and commercial market demands, ranging from mine tailings control to dust control . Our focus is providing premium products and services. Our responsibility is recognizing the sensitivity of our environment... watch the video
www.enssolutions.com

Mine Master - Specialists Underground
Mine Master Ltd. are one of the biggest worldwide mining equipment manufacturers. Specilaists in underground drilling, the company produces roof bolting rigs, underground drill rigs and other underground mining equipment. The company also produces a wide range of tools for its mining machinery... watch the video

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