WOMP - World of Mining Professionals

Contents

News
Coal
Equipment News

Around the World
Conferences
People

FEATURES

~	Nordic Mining 1
~	Nordic Mining 2
~	High Capacity Conveyors
~	Pit Dewatering

Video Presentations

	Assa Abloy Automated Entrance Solutions
	Flowrox Proven Performance in Mining
	BASF - your mining partner
	Powerscreen - in action

A Labor Legacy or Failed Redistribution of Wealth?

As this edition was going to press, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), the largest platinum miner, had dismissed 12,000 striking miners. Wildcat strikes were spreading beyond the bushveld to the rand. Miners had walked off the job at gold mines and iron ore mines. It’s now estimated that more than 100,000 miners in South Africa were on strike, seeking wage-related concessions.

The mining industry holds South Africa in high regard as one of the greatest mining nations. The region has vast resources and is steeped in mining history. Those resources lie at depth and can be challenging to mine, which often proves costly. Underground mining methods are labor intensive and the mines’ access to a large pool of labor has helped them remain profitable. Still of the $676 billion invested in mining last year, South Africa received only $25 billion (4%).

South Africa is also Africa’s wealthiest country ......... read more

Steve Fiscor, Editor in Chief

NEWS

Glencore-Xstrata: A ‘Merger of Equals,’ Muddled by Money Matters
Barrick Gold Corp. has appointed Executive Vice President and CFO Jamie Sokalsky president and CEO, replacing Aaron Regent, who had held the position since January 2009. Sokalsky will also replace Regent on Barrick’s board of directors. In addition, John L. Thornton, currently a Barrick director, has been appointed cochairman of Barrick’s board of directors. "On behalf of our board, I would like to thank Aaron for his significant contribution to Barrick’s development. We are fully committed to maximizing shareholder value......... read more

B2Gold and CGA Mining Agree to Merge
B2Gold and CGA Mining have entered into a merger agreement to combine the two companies at the agreed exchange ratio of 0.74 B2Gold common shares for each CGA share. The transaction is valued at about C$1.1 billion. The merged company will operate CGA’s Masbate gold mine in the Philippines and B2Gold’s Limon and La Libertad gold mines in Nicaragua. The three mines are expected to produce about 350,000 oz of gold in 2012. Masbate, the largest operating gold mine in the Philippines, will produce about 200,000 oz of gold over the 12- month period ending June 30....... read more

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Talison Accepts Acquisition Offer from Rockwood
Talison Lithium announced acceptance of an offer from Rockwood Holdings, Inc. in late August 2012, whereby Rockwood will acquire Talison for C$724 million in cash. Talison is a leading global producer of lithium concentrates from its mines at Greenbushes, Western Australia. The company recently completed an expansion project that doubled its production capacity. Rockwood is a NYSE-listed global specialty chemicals and advanced materials company, headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, with 81 manufacturing facilities in 24 countries around the..... read more

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Fortescue Cuts Spending, Refinances Debt
Fortescue Metals Group announced in early September 2012 revision of its capital expenditure guidance for its 2013 fiscal year, ending June 30, 2013, down to $4.6 billion from its previous estimate of $6.2 billion. Most of these savings will result from deferral of development of the Kings iron ore deposit within the company’s Solomon mining hub in Western Australia and full completion of its fourth berth at Herb Elliott Port until iron ore prices return to "more sustainable levels." Current planning calls for the Kings deposit eventually to produce 40 million mt/y of iron ore..... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - USA & CANADA

Blackwater PEA Describes Major Mine for New Gold
New Gold Inc. has received a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) from AMEC Americas for its Blackwater gold project, located 160 km southwest of Prince George, British Columbia, and 450 km north of the company’s New Afton mine (E&MJ, September 2012, p. 52). The PEA considers a 60,000-mt/d, open-pit mining operation that would produce an average of 507,000 oz/y of gold and 2,039,000 oz/y of silver over an initial mine life of 15 years. Production is targeted to start in 2017.... read more

SEC Focuses on Payment Reporting by Extractive Industries, Canada Follows Suit
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on August 22, 2012, adopted rules mandated by the Dodd- Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act requiring resource extraction companies listed in the United States to disclose certain payments made to the U.S. or foreign governments. Subsequently, in Canada, on September 7, a new working group of national-level mining and exploration associations and transparency focused.... read more

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Midas Gold Reports PEA for Golden Meadows
Midas Gold Corp., a Canadian junior company headquartered in Vancouver, has announced the results of an independent, NI 43-101-compliant preliminary economic assessment (PEA) of its Golden Meadows project near the historic mining town of Stibnite in central Idaho. The Golden Meadows project, as currently envisioned, consists of three gold mineral resources, Yellow Pine, Hangar Flats and West End, with zones of antimony and silver mineralization. Conventional open-pit methods are recommended for mining the three deposits, which are located within 3 km of.... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Latin America

Construction Nears Completion at Santander
Construction at Trevali Mining’s Santander zinc-lead-silver mine in west-central Peru was nearing completion in mid-September 2012, and commissioning is planned for the fourth quarter. At the 2,000-mt/d processing plant, the mills had been installed; the flotation building was in place, and the flotation cells had been installed; the crusher and zinc and lead thickener foundations were in place; new steel for mill and crusher buildings was on site and being erected, and the crushers were being installed; tailings dam sealing was ongoing; and mineral stockpile preparation was advanced…… read more

Endeavour Silver to Rebuild El Cubo
Endeavour Silver reported in early September 2012 that it plans to invest $67.1 million on capital projects at its underground El Cubo mine and plant in the Guanajuato mining district in Mexico over the next 18 months, including $32.4 million in 2012 and $34.7 million in 2013. Endeavour acquired El Cubo from AuRico Gold in a transaction that closed July 13, 2012. Endeavour’s planned investments include a complete rebuild of the El Tajo processing plant to 1,200-mt/d capacity, with room for future expansion, including installation of new crushing…. read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Australasia

Newcrest Reports Positive Prefeasibility for Golpu
Newcrest Mining reported in late August 2012 a very significant increase in the ore reserve estimate for the Golpu porphyry copper-gold deposit in Morobe province, Papua New Guinea, following completion of a technical prefeasibility study. The deposit forms part of the Wafi-Golpu project in which Newcrest and Harmony Gold each have a 50% interest. The Golpu prefeasibility study supports an updated ore reserve estimate containing 12.4 million oz of gold and 5.4 million mt of copper, an increase of 11 million oz of gold and 4.7 million mt of copper from the…. read more

Cameco Acquires Yeelirrie Uranium Project
Cameco has reached an agreement with BHP Billiton to acquire the Yeelirrie uranium project in Western Australia for $430 million. Yeelirrie is one of Australia’s largest undeveloped uranium deposits and is located about 650 km northeast of Perth and about 750 km south of Cameco’s Kintyre exploration project. Uranium was discovered at Yeelirrie in 1972 by Western Mining Corp., which was acquired by BHP Billiton in 2005. Cameco expects the transaction to close by the end of 2012, subject to the receipt of approvals from the government of Western Australia and the Australian …. read more

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AROUND THE WORLD - Asia

Lynas Receives a Temporary License for Rare Earths Plant in Malaysia
Lynas Corp. reported in early September 2012 that the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) issued a Temporary Operating Licence (TOL) for the Lynas Advanced Materials plant (LAMP) in Pahang, Malaysia. Subsequently, on September 25, Lynas reported that the Kuantan High Court had decided to hear on October 4, 2012, an application by parties associated with the Save Malaysia Stop Lynas group for an injunction in respect of the TOL. Parties…. read more

PanAust Commissions Plant Upgrade at Phu Kham
PanAust commissioned a plant upgrade project at its Phu Kham copper-gold operations in northern Laos in early September 2012. Circuit optimization and ramp-up to design capacity are expected to lift plant throughput from 12 million mt/y to 16 million mt/y by yearend 2012. Implementation of the upgrade was timed to coincide with a scheduled decline in copper head grade as greater quantities of primary ore are mined and processed. The project came in within its budget of $95 million and included installation of a second 12-MW ball mill and additional flotation capacity. Copper and gold recovery rates at Phu Kham are expected to…. read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Africa

Wildcat Strikes Disrupt South African Mining
A wave of wildcat strikes hit sectors of the South African mining industry in September, sparked at least in part by strike-fueled violence at Lonmin’s Marikana platinum mine during the first half of August, where 44 people were killed. Lonmin reached a wage agreement with its workers on September 18 and was getting back to work by the end of the month. However, at month’s end, strikes had shut down all of AngloGold Ashanti’s and Anglo Platinum’s mines, and two Gold Fields mines were out of operation. Additional strikes occurred at Coal of Africa’s Mooiplaats mine and at a Samancor chrome mine…. read more

Banro Achieves Commercial Production at Twangiza
Banro Corp. declared commercial production at its Twangiza gold mine in South Kivu province, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in late August 2012. The company anticipates that production initially will be about 8,000 oz/m. Planning is under way for a substantial increase in plant throughput to 2 million mt/y and gold production to above 10,000 oz/m. The plant expansion project will include installation of a larger mineral sizer/primary crusher to increase front-end capacity, a second elution circuit and gold room, and additional carbon-in-leach tanks to provide appropriate leach residence time at increased throughputs…… read more

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THIS MONTH IN COAL

Alpha Restructures, Closes Eight Mines
Alpha Natural Resources outlined plans to restructure, saving the company an additional $100 million and idling 16 million tons of capacity. Between now and early 2013 the company will reduce its workforce by 1,200 positions. It currently employs 13,100. Alpha will immediately idle eight mines in Virginia, West Virginia and Pennsylvania, eliminating 400 jobs. The company plans to focus on its metallurgical coal leadership position and establish a durable core of costcompetitive thermal coal assets through a rationalization program. "We’re taking decisive actions that set the table for Alpha to compete successfully as a leader in the global coal markets for…. read more

Queensland Hikes Royalties
Australian coal operators are crying foul down under. A worse than feared hike in coal royalties recently announced in Queensland’s state budget means more job losses, the risk of further mine closures, and the near certainty that numerous major new coal projects will not see the light of day, Queensland Resources Council Chief Executive Michael Roche said. "The Newman Government inherited from Labor the highest coal royalties in Australia but their own hike could see Queensland grab…. read more

Xstrata Coal Scales Back
Responding to industry-wide pressures including low coal prices, high input costs and a strong Australian dollar, Xstrata Coal said it downsize by approximately 600. The reductions involve both contractors and permanent positions. The company did not offer a breakdown of the reductions by individual site and instead said the restructure is focused on scaling back high cost production at some of its mines and eliminating some positions at its corporate headquarters. The company’s approved growth projects, such as Ravensworth North, Ulan West and the expansion at Rolleston, are…. read more

FEATURE - Nordic Mining 1

Balancing Economic Potential Against Cost
E&MJ looks at mining and processing developments in a region that offers vast mineral resources—and a stable environment in which to find them

By Simon Walker, European Editor

Last year’s Nordic mining review began with an overview of mining’s role in northern Europe, and how this ties in with the region’s excellent geological and resource endowment. It then went on to look at exploration and mine development activity on a commodity-by-commodity basis, starting with iron ore, running through nickel, base and precious metals, and ending up with an interesting cross-section of other commodities such as rare earths, uranium, tungsten and fluorspar. One year on, and most companies have reported progress with their projects. Some new mines have come on stream, and there have been several significant deposit discoveries. As with anywhere else in the world, exploration is heavily weighted toward the junior sector, with resource……. read more

FEATURE - Nordic Mining 2

Technology for World Markets
Nordic equipment manufacturers are among the most innovative in the world. Simon Walker reports on the many technologies they offer.

Hard rock mining, and the equipment needed to do it successfully, have gone hand-in-hand in the Nordic countries for well over a century. Indeed, some of today’s leading suppliers of equipment to the world market can trace their origins back into the 1800s, as companies that had been established to service the railway industry or agriculture diversified their engineering skills into mining, materials handling and mineral processing. Closer to the present, home-grown expertise in exploration technology and supplying the need for increasing levels of mechanization and automation in mining has provided Swedish and Finnish companies in particular with a huge advantage, and has given them the opportunity to compete effectively on the world stage ..... read more

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FEATURE - High Capacity Conveyors

How to Increase Conveyor Capacity
Start by boosting belt strength, then consider wider belt widths, higher belt speeds, optimizing idler geometries and using low rolling resistance rubber

By Dr. Robin Steven

With commodity prices reaching record highs over the past few years, there has never been a better time to increase the output of a mine. Trucks, trains and conveyor belts are the primary methods used to transport the bulk material out of the mine so finding ways to increase the capacity of these material flow lines is a constant endeavor. This article focuses on conveyor belts and ways to increase their capacity. Some of the new and advancing technologies mentioned in this article have been gaining field experience and acceptance over the past 10 years. Others are just now on the market. All are intended to help to increase product flow and/or reduce the cost of material transportation per ton conveyed…... read more

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

FEATURE - Pit Dewatering

Latest Dewatering Pumps Put a New Spin on Performance

By Russell A. Carter, Managing Editor

One of the hottest commodities in today’s mining industry isn’t something that can be crushed, concentrated or smelted—it’s water. Often scarce, sometimes contaminated but more than occasionally present in unwanted, massive volumes, water has cost and value characteristics that translate into fundamental economic issues for mining operations. To an observer walking the exhibit-floor aisles of the recent MINExpo 2012 trade show—the world’s largest—the importance of water to mining was reinforced by the sheer number of pump and pump-related suppliers present (roughly 100), and the range of new products and services they demonstrated—a sizable portion of which were aimed directly at mine dewatering duties. Among the models displayed were some of the largest units available in a given vendor’s product line, down to some of the smallest. Typically many..... read more

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

VIDEO PRESENTATIONS

ASSA ABLOY helping you to go to extremes - Automated entrance solutions for the mining industry
ASSA ABLOY Entrance Systems introduces its combined offering of Albany and Megadoor industrial door solutions for the mining industry.... watch the video

Flowrox - Proven Performance in Mining
Flowrox has provided solutions for high-wear and aggressive processes in more than 50,000 installations in mining, metallurgy and mineral applications around the world. Flowrox valves and pumps have proven their superior quality, reliability, excellent wear-resistance and antijamming properties in these applications... watch the video

Whatever your challenges are: BASF - your mining partner
BASF Construction Chemicals serves the mining industry with much more than just equipment and chemicals for sprayed concrete. Its innovative MEYCO® solutions span everything from injection and backfill to thin spray-on liners, backed by the support and expert engineering knowledge of its global mining team.... watch the video

Gatewing X100. Taking mapping to the next level
Imagine being able to achieve highly accurate mapping, whenever and wherever needed, even in less than favourable weather conditions (wind, light rain, cloud cover) where conventional photogrammetry may not be possible, while keeping both feet firmly on the ground. All this is now available at a reasonable price. Introducing the Gatewing X100 revolutionary aerial mapping and surveying system.... watch the video

SUPPLIERS REPORTS & EQUIPMENT GALLERY

MINExpo 2012 Sets New Records
Nearly 60,000 people recently attended what is billed as the world’s largest mining exposition—MINExpo, which takes place every four years in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. In comparison, approximately 38,000 attended MINExpo 2008. Mike Sutherlin, president and CEO of industry supplier JoyGlobal and chairman of MINExpo 2012, said at the show’s opening ceremony: "The growth in international attendance, from 16 countries in 2008 to 36 represented today, mirrors the global presence of the mining industry. With record expected attendance and exhibition space, by every measure, this show is historic." …. read more

Mining Circuit Breaker
Eaton’s new W-VACiMB medium-voltage vacuum circuit breaker is designed for mining applications and engineered to provide reliable and robust circuit protection in a compact package. According to the vendor, W-VACiMB breakers can protect transformers, capacitor banks, motors, busbar sections and cable. To withstand demanding environmental conditions in mining applications, the units are sealed from dust and contaminants and can be used in applications involving high altitude, shock, vibration and high…… read more

Underground Rail Alignment Tool
Enerpac’s RAT-Series rail alignment tool can safely and effectively position track to prevent car derailments in underground mining applications. The tool is rated with a push capacity of 5 tons yet weighs only 70 lb (32 kg). An integrated extension screw reaches 16 in. (406 mm), allowing longer reach and fast setup, achieving a maximum tool extension of 76 in. (1,930 mm), with a collapsed length of 46 in. (1,168 mm). The hydraulic bladder design reservoir allows for use in any position, and the cylinder…. read more

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Improved Slide Gate Valve
Vortex Valves’ patented HDP slide gate has been used in a wide variety of applications to handle sticky and/or abrasive powders in systems with positive pressures up to 75 psig (5 bar). The company recently released the HDPV2, which it says offers significant enhancements over the original design, such as a wider bonnet that eliminates a dead pocket where material could potentially build up. Other design changes include a longer body frame to allow easier inspection and replacement of seals and wear parts while the gate remains .…… read more

New Curtain Material for Underground Use
ABC Industries has developed what it claims is a first-of-its-kind, 45 oz/yd2 (1,526 g/m2) clear ‘fly pad’ material in response to the mining industry’s growing need for heavier, more durable fly pad treatments. Fly pads made with ABC’s AirStop clear fabric or heavyweight VentaTex brattice construction allow for safe travel in underground environments by supplying visibility for vehicle traffic in crosscut areas. The new AS4500 and AS4550 fly pads are specifically designed for applications…. read more

Control Center Minimizes Arc Flash Hazard
ABB’s Low Voltage Products division has released the MNS-MCC Low Voltage Motor Control Center, described as the first of its kind designed to address the causes of arc flash incidents while providing equipment and personnel protection. In developing the MNS-MCC, ABB said it took the primary features of a globally proven IEC product and incorporated them into a unique, comprehensive low-voltage motor control center that meets UL 845, CSA C22.2 and IBC-2006 standards. To achieve the…. read more

Remote Valve Cycling Unit
Asahi/America’s QM Remote Cycle unit can provide continuous and reliable cycling in remote mining applications. A complete QM Remote Cycle unit consists of an Asahi/America Series 94 electric actuator with self-powered battery and open/close timer, mounted to a ball or butterfly valve for use in areas where power sources are limited or unavailable. The QM Remote Cycle unit features a NEMA 4X engineered resin enclosure with stainless steel trim, on/off switch, open and interval times adjustable via .…. read more

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Cordless Belt Cutters
Flexco recently released its Cordless Belt Cutter. Designed to provide quick and easy cuts on rubber, PVC and fabric-plied belts, this portable tool is available in two sizes. The CEBC1 is capable of cutting rubber belts up to 1-in. (25 mm) thick and PVC belts up to 360 P.I.W. (63 kN/m) while the CEBC2 is capable of cutting rubber belts up to 2-in. thick (50 mm) and PVC belts up to 1140 P.I.W. (200 kN/m). These cordless versions join the Electric Belt Cutter line of maintenance tools. The hand-held cutters are specifically designed to allow the user to cut belts easier and faster than traditional….read more

CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS

NOVEMBER 14–16, 2012: Western Mining Electrical Association Bi-annual Meeting, San Antonio, Texas, USA. Contact: WMEA; Web: www.wmea.net

DECEMBER 3–5, 2012: Bauxite, Alumina and Aluminum Industry of Asia – Vision 2020, Nagpur, India. Contact: International Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminum Society (IBAAS); E-mail: info@ibaas.info; Web: www.ibaas.info

FEBRUARY 24–27, 2013: 142nd SME Annual Meeting and Exhibit and CMA 115th National Western Mining Conference, Denver, Colorado, USA. Contact: Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration; Tel: 303-948- 4200; E-mail: meetings@smenet.org; Web: www.smenet.org/meetings

MARCH 3–6, 2013: PDAC 2013, International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange-Mining Investment Show, Toronto, Canada Contact: Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada; Tel: 416-362-1969 ext. 1; Fax: 416-362-0101; E-mail: convention@pdac.ca; Web: www.pdac.ca

APRIL 15–21, 2013: bauma 2013, Munich, Germany. Contact: Messe München GmbH; Tel: 49 89 949-11348; Fax: 49 89 949-11349; E-mail: info@bauma.de; Web: www.bauma.de

APRIL 16–18, 2013: Minex Central Asia 2013, Astana, Kazakhstan. Contact: Arthur Poliakov; Tel: 44 (0) 207 520 9341; E-mail: admin@minexforum.com; Web: www.minexasia.com

APRIL 16–19, 2013: 23rd International Mining Congress and Exhibition of Turkey, Antalya, Turkey. Contact: IMCET; Tel: 90 312 425 10 80; Fax: 90 312 417 52 90; E-mail: imcet@maden.org.tr; Web: www.imcet.org.tr

MAY 11–13, 2013: Indaba 2013, Durban, South Africa. Contact: Witch & Wizard Creative (Pty) Ltd.; Tel: 27 (0)11 467 5011 / 5024; Fax: 27 (0)11 467 5350; Web: www.indaba-southafrica.co.za

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

WHO'S MOVING WHERE

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. recently announced several executive management appointments. Laurie Brlas was appointed executive vice president and president of global operations; P. Kelly Tompkins was appointed executive vice president of legal, government affairs and sustainability, chief legal officer and president, Cliffs China; Terrance Paradie was appointed senior vice president and CFO; Steven Raguz was appointed senior vice president of corporate strategy and communications and chief strategy officer; James Michaud was appointed senior vice president of human resources and chief human resource officer; and Matthew Bittner was appointed vice president and treasurer.

Coeur d’Alene Mines Corp. has appointed Randy Buffington senior vice president and COO. He succeeds K. Leon Hardy who will retire from the company at the end of the year.

Teck Resources Ltd. has appointed Alex Christopher vice president of exploration and Colin Joudrie vice president of business development.

Kennecott Utah Copper has appointed Lynn Cardey-Yates vice president of sustainable development. She will replace Rohan McGowan-Jackson who recently accepted the role of vice president of innovation and resource development.

International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. has appointed Donald C. Ewigleben president and CEO.

The Chamber of Mines of South Africa recently announced that Dr. Frans Barker, the chamber’s COO, passed away.

Claude Resources Inc. has appointed Brian Skanderbeg senior vice president and COO.

Flexco has appointed Kerry Meacham director of North American sales.

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