International Mining

Transformational Tailings Flowsheets Webinar We moderated an engaging and interactive webinar with Weir Minerals' Erik Vlot and Job Kruyswijk yesterday, highlighting three transformational tailings flowsheets (#TERRAFLOWING, #CoarseParticleFlotation and #HydraulicDewateredStacking); three in-depth tailings case studies that showcased significant savings on CAPEX, water use, energy consumption, etc; the wider Weir expertise in tailings management; and much more. An hour-long webinar flew by, with the insights coming thick and fast. For those who weren't able to make the event live, you can register to watch the on-demand video here: https://lnkd.in/e37zDqpV #DontWasteonWaste #GISTM #tailingsmanagement

Ok Tedi bolsters mining fleet with large Cat 995 wheel loader #Copper-#gold miner Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML) has launched at its operations in #Tabubil a first and largest of its kind for #PapuaNewGuinea Caterpillar Inc. 995 Large #WheelLoader (LWL), which is also only the second of this model to have been delivered in the Pacific region. The Cat 995 LWL was purchased earlier this year from Hastings Deering, the Caterpillar equipment dealer, to increase production capacity and meet the growing demands of the industry market. OTML Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kedi Ilimbit said that the purchase of the latest edition of the front wheel loader will add to the company’s fleet of mining equipment, which already includes a wide range of cutting-edge machinery. “The Cat Mining 995 is up to 23% more productive than the Cat 994 Wheel Loader, while the company has been using the smaller Cat 993 loader for almost four decades. Cat 995 has a more powerful engine, higher-rated payload, and efficient hydraulic system that allows for fast cycle times and higher production which is efficient for our operations,” said Ilimbit. Hastings Deering Resource Industries Account Manager Todd Wallace acknowledged the existing partnership between the two companies. “We are excited to deliver the first Cat 995 LWL into #PNG and the second Cat 995 LWL into the #HastingsDeering territory. Ok Tedi has the second of the first three Cat 995 LWL models built worldwide,” said Wallace. The launch of the Cat 995 LWL is a historical milestone for OTML as a world-class mine and for Papua New Guinea’s mining industry. #OTML says it is committed to investing in advanced and low emission technology and equipment to ensure efficiency in mining operations, production success, and the safety and well-being of all its employees, business partners, and the surrounding mining communities. #futureofmining #mineofthefuture

Paul Lucey set the tone for #TheElectricMine 2024 with an excellent keynote titled, 'The Pathway to Zero-Emission Mobile Mining Equipment.' In it, he outlined the challenges to electrify with battery-electric trucks, the potential value of a transitional approach to reach 2030 decarbonisation goals and a number of transitional technologies being commercialised or developed. #mineelectrification #netzeromining #minedecarbonisation

With up to 20% off tickets, now is the best time to register for #TheElectricMine 2025, in Santiago, Chile, set to welcome the global leaders in mine electrification. We'll be posting many more updates about the event before the end of the year, including details on new speakers, sponsors and more. Register now to receive the best price! Access the link 👇 #mineelectrification #TEM25 #NetZeroMining

Having presented at the recent GMG Santiago Forum last month, Javier Ruiz del Solar is expected to come to The Electric Mine 2025 and share insights on an electromobility underground project he and other members of the Advanced Mining Technology Center is working on with CODELCO – Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile! We look forward to sharing more details in 2025... #TheElectricMine #mineelectrification #TEM25

Fortescue awards US$400 million contract to XCMG to supply zero emissions mining equipment Fortescue says it intends to purchase over 100 pieces of zero emissions Heavy Mobile Equipment under a deal with Chinese heavy machinery manufacturer, XCMG Group The contract, with a potential value of more than US$400 million, marks #XCMG’s largest contract outside of China for mining equipment and will see #batteryelectric wheel loaders, wheel dozers, water carts, float prime movers and graders delivered to #Fortescue’s #Pilbara mining operations by 2030. The use of this equipment will eliminate millions of litres of fossil fuels from Fortescue’s #ironore operations over the life cycle of the assets, with the first pieces of equipment expected to be deployed from 2026. Fortescue Metals Chief Executive Officer, Dino Otranto joined XCMG Chairman, Yang Dongsheng, at bauma CHINA to announce the partnership and recognise the contract award. #futureofmining #mineofthefuture #theelectricmine

Growth pathways for BHP's Escondida In a wide ranging presentation forming part of its 2024 Chilean #copper site tour, BHP provided insight into how it intends to continue delivering copper growth, including at its flagship #Escondida mine, via a series of pathways. Escondida like a number of other long life copper mines is facing grade decline & increased ore hardness. But it remains the world’s largest copper operation. Ore is extracted from two open pits – Escondida & #EscondidaNorte. The broad long term timeline for Escondida moving into the 2030s will see an initial production decline as the ageing #LosColorados concentrator (96,000 t/d) is demolished, followed by a production increase as a new concentrator ramps up and high-grade ore is accessed. #BHP Leach application on #ripios will also begin to contribute. In the near term, BHP is looking to extend the life of Los Colorados with timing optionality & also make expansions at the #LagunaSeca concentrators (LS1 handles 130,000 t/d currently and LS2 147,000 t/d). Larger mechanical #flotationcells along with Eriez #Hydrofloat #coarseparticle #flotation are also part of plans for the Laguna Seca plants and the new plant that will replace Los Colorados. Another major focus is increasing mining intensity to support the long term growth of concentrator capacity. The current Escondida ex-pit mine movement is ~400 Mt/y. Key changes in mine design, a fleet upgrade and productivity initiatives could enable increase this to >500 Mt/y. Moves could include larger pushbacks, more access ramps, a change in pit wall angle plus more and larger trucks (the new ultraclass fleet potentially increasing to around 190), and larger shovels – the mine is already one of the first users of Komatsu Mining’s P&H 4800 XPC. Current mining equipment & fixed infrastructure at Escondida totals 188 trucks plus 18 electric shovels. There are four primary crushers & a #conveyance system for transport to concentrators plus one #primarycrusher and a conveyance system for the leaching route ie cathodes. A full fleet replacement is underway to the previously announced new Caterpillar Inc. diesel-electric 400 ton class #798AC truck fleet which will help unlock additional capacity & enable transition to autonomous operations. This was discussed by International Mining Editorial Director Paul Moore with BHP’s VP Technology, Minerals Americas, Pedro Hidalgo, at the EXPONOR CHILE - ¡Nos vemos en EXPONOR 2026! show in #Antofagasta earlier this year. All the #autonomoustrucks are currently operating in an #autonomouszone in Escondida Norte – to date 15 out of a fleet of 36 Cat Mining 798 AC trucks, with all 36 expected to be running autonomously by July 2025. The total conversion of 141 trucks is expected by FY30 (with 52 trucks converted & operating at Escondida Norte by FY27).  Autonomous drilling (Epiroc #PitVipers using the OEM automation system) is also progressing (20% to date). #futureofmining #theelectricmine #mineofthefuture

Multi-orbit connectivity for mining digitalisation Technology, such as the Industrial Internet of Things (#IoT), #machinelearning, and #virtualreality, is transforming safety, productivity, and profitability in mining. Yet, none of these can be enabled without #connectivity. SES Satellites’ next-generation medium Earth orbit (#MEO) #satelliteconstellation, #O3bmPOWER, enables miners to deliver an enhanced digital experience without the limitations of capacity, speed, and reach. This high-throughput satellite connectivity network enables public and private network connectivity, from aggregated data rates of up to multiple gigabits, directly to any mining site. Using the combined MEO and #Geostationary (#GEO) networks, #SES is an integrated hashtag#multiorbit solutions provider to mining operators, offering high data rates, minimal latency, and flexible satellite services. The SES ecosystem allows mines to cost-effectively and dynamically scale connectivity as needed. Find out more in this in-depth 🎥 with Simon Gatty Saunt, Vice President of Sales, Enterprise and Cloud, SES. The full video can be found ⬇️ as well as at https://lnkd.in/eqXWv-uV

Ranggård: Avoid these mine electrification pitfalls Jonas Ranggård, Manager of Boliden Mines Electrification Program, says his whitepaper on the electrification of open-pit mining aims to equip miners with the right questions to help them in their transition, while providing a wake-up call to truck suppliers to focus “less on developing ad-hoc solutions that will never be cost competitive”. IM argues he has achieved both aims. The major conclusion from his paper, supported with simulations from Olav Öhmark, Senior Development Engineer at Boliden, is that battery-electric vehicles utilising static charging would have more applications in the mining sector than the battery-trolley philosophy many are pushing. This is predicated on the fact that batteries should be cheap; in-cycle charging is not, as some would argue, a ‘no-go’; battery trucks need to offer more than productivity and payload alone; and truck battery capacity needs to increase. ⚡ Get a flavour of this in the story below (link to full report in the comments section)... #mineelectrification #TheElectricMine #batteryelectrictrucks

Tailings webinar starting soon! The Rethink, Reduce, Repurpose Your Tailings with Weir’s Transformational Flowsheets webinar, hosted by International Mining, starts in just one hour! If you haven't signed up, now is the time to do so (details below)! ◼️ Date: November 25 ◼️ Time: 8am CET (UTC+1) ◼️ Register: https://lnkd.in/eGqCER8v #tailingsmanagement #GISTM #tailings #DontWasteonWaste Weir Minerals Erik Vlot Job Kruyswijk