WOMP - World of Mining Professionals

Contents

News
People
Equipment News

Around the World
Conferences

FEATURES

	Open-Pit Mining
	Crushing and Sizing
	Drilling Tools
	Soft Rock Mining

VIDEO PRESENTATIONS

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Working Toward a Better Future

Before we dive into this edition, let’s pause for a moment and offer a prayer for the families of the deceased and the injured miners that survived the runaway lift incident at Implats Shaft 11. With South Africa’s rich mining history and deep mining expertise, this tragedy is especially troublesome. Our mission, as mining engineers, is to eliminate these types of risks to the best of our abilities and in this case the industry failed these miners.
When a surgeon has a bad day, a patient dies. When engineers have a bad day, people die, and significant amounts of damage can occur. Most of the time our work goes unnoticed because systems operate the way they should, and people leave the site safely every day. Our jobs matter. The people that work in today’s mines and mineral processing plants are counting on us. It’s easy to get distracted with all the noise, but it’s vitally important .... read more

Steve Fiscor, Publisher & Editor in Chief

NEWS

Newmont Completes Newcrest Acquisition
Newmont Corp. announced on November 6, 2023, that it had completed the acquisition of Newcrest Mining Ltd., which will further increase the production levels and opportunities for the world’s largest gold mining company. The transaction adds 2.1 million oz of Newcrest gold production .... read more

Calibre Acquires Marathon Gold
Calibre Mining Corp. has agreed to acquire all shares of Marathon Gold Corp., in an all-share deal that values the company at C$345 million ($251 million). The transaction will create an Americas-focused mid-tier gold producer that could be producing approximately 500,000 oz during the 2025 – 2026 timeframe. The combined company will have a strong balance sheet with a combined cash balance of $148 million and significant free cash flow generated from Calibre’s existing mines. Calibre said it would leverage this financial strength .... read more

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Coeur to Acquire Concessions from Fresnillo
Coeur Mining, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Coeur Mexicana, S.A. de C.V., has signed a purchase agreement with a subsidiary of Fresnillo plc to acquire mining concessions adjacent to the Palmarejo gold-silver complex located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico. Total consideration includes a cash payment of approximately $25 million ($10 million due at closing..... read more

RER Receives Approval for Demonstration Plant
Rare Element Resources Ltd. (RER) reported the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has finalized its National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review of RER’s planned rare earth processing and separation demonstration plant to be built in Upton, Wyo. This completes the federal permitting activity prior to construction. The DOE NEPA review was consistent with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s NEPA review, with both resulting in a finding of no significant impact .... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - USA & CANADA

Piedmont Begins to Ship Lithium Concentrate
In its Q3 2023 earnings report, Piedmont Lithium said it made its first customer shipments under its offtake agreement with its joint-venture operation, North American Lithium (NAL). As a result, the company became a revenue-generating lithium company and recorded adjusted net income of $17 million. “NAL is the largest operating .... read more

Sibanye-Stillwater Lays Off Workers at U.S. PGM Operations
Sibanye-Stillwater gave notice to its employees and contractors, that it will restructure its U.S. PGM operations to reduce operating and capital costs and ensure sustainability through a lower palladium price environment. The company said it initially signaled this possibility in July 2022, when the mine was recovering disrupted operations due to a flooding event, citing an anticipated decline in the price for palladium and inflationary cost pressures. Approximately 100 Sibanye-Stillwater employees will be laid off, the majority ....read more

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BHP Selects Fluor for Jansen Stage 2
Fluor Corp. announced that its Mining & Metals business has been selected by BHP Canada to develop Stage 2 of its multibillion-dollar Jansen potash project in Saskatchewan, Canada. The value of the contract was not disclosed. “Fluor is excited to be selected to partner with BHP to deliver this sustainable program that is critical for food security,” said Tony Morgan, president of Fluor’s Mining & Metals business. “This award is a testament to our track record of successfully delivering complex mega- projects, coupled with our expertise .... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Latin America

Rio Tinto and Codelco Form Nuevo Cobre Exploration JV
Rio Tinto has completed the acquisition of PanAmerican Silver’s stake in Agua de la Falda and entered a joint venture (JV) with Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile (Codelco) to explore and potentially develop the company’s assets in Chile’s prospective Atacama region. The acquisition, announced .... read more

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Goverment Forces FQM to Close Cobre Panama
The Supreme Court of Panama ruled Law 406 as unconstitutional and the President of Panama, Laurentino Cortizo, announced a transition process for the closure of the Cobre Panama mine. Minera Panamá S.A. (MPSA), a subsidiary of First Quantum Minerals Ltd. (FQM), is currently seeking additional details in respect of the ruling and its implications. With these developments, the company said it is suspending its production guidance for Cobre Panama for the current year. FQM said the court’s decision does not take into account a planned ... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Australasia

Vale Sells Controlling Interest in Indonesian Operations
Vale Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of Vale Base Metals, Ltd., signed an agreement on November 17, 2023, with PT Mineral Industri Indonesia (MIND ID) and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (SMM) to sell an approximate 14% equity interest in PT Vale Indonesia Tbk (PT Vale) to MIND ID. The transaction will make MIND …. read more

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BHP Powers Up Renewables in Western Australia
A new solar farm in the Northern Goldfields has been switched online thanks to a collaboration between BHP and renewable energy provider TransAlta, which will help BHP reduce scope 2 emissions at its Nickel West northern operations by 12%. The Northern Goldfields Solar and Battery Storage Facility is one of the world’s largest off-grid mining solar and battery energy storage systems and features about 70,000 solar panels across 90 hectares of land. The initiative will replace power currently generated from diesel and gas …. read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Africa

Sibanye-Stillwater Reaches a 5-year Wage Agreement at Kroondal
On November 6, Sibanye-Stillwater has concluded a 5-year wage agreement with all representative unions, comprising the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) and the National Union of Mineworkers (the NUM) in respect of annual wages and benefits for employees at the Kroondal platinum group metals …. read more

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Ghana Issues Mining Lease for Ewoyaa Project
Ghana’s Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has granted a mining lease for the Ewoyaa Lithium Project, which is being developed by Piedmont Lithium and its partner, Atlantic Lithium Ltd. The mining lease provides exclusive rights to carry out lithium mining and commercial production activities for an initial 15-year period and is renewable in accordance with Ghanaian legislation. The issuance of the mining lease is subject to ratification by the Ghanaian parliament and follows last month’s announcement by the .... read more

AROUND THE WORLD - Europe

Robot Charger Finishes Tests at Garpenberg
ABB announced it completed testing of the industry’s first automated robot charging technology for loading blastholes with explosives at Boliden’s Garpenberg underground zinc mine in Sweden. The ABB Robot Charger automatically detects blastholes and fills them with charges, removing the need for miners to be near the face during blasting sequences .... read more

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Finnish Firm Develops Technology to Use Mining Byproducts in Construction
Finnish materials technology company, is promoting technology that offers the mining industry an opportunity to use “side-stream” materials such as smelter slag, fly ash or other mineral processing byproducts to supplement concrete applications or serve as secure binders for mining waste, allowing those materials to be used in civil engineering structures at the mine site. “There is huge potential to exploit the byproducts of the mining industry, with a significant commercial value. With our technology, the side streams can be used .... read more

FEATURE - Open-Pit Mining

Autonomous Operations Reshape Open-pit Mining
The keys to success lie in understanding fleet strategy and training managers to properly execute the plan

By Steve Fiscor, Editor-in-Chief

Autonomous haulage solutions (AHS) for haul trucks are gaining in popularity as more mining companies learn how to implement and manage the systems. The benefits can be immense, and the safety statistics speak for themselves. The trucks run continuously except for periods of refueling and maintenance. Costs are reduced with consistent operations, which also improves productivity. All the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for haul trucks have AHS platforms and several companies have developed independent systems. To implement AHS, mining engineers and operations managers must not only accurately assess their current capabilities and their fleet, but also understand what direction .... read more

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

FEATURE - Crushing and Sizing

Innovations in Crushing
We look at how innovative technologies and best practices are unlocking new efficiencies

By Carly Leonida, European Editor

Energy is one of the biggest expenses for mining companies. According to Deloitte, it can constitute up to 30% of total cash operating costs. Research from the Coalition for Eco-Efficient Comminution indicates that the mining industry, as a whole, consumes approximately 12 EJ per year — or 3.5% of total final energy consumption globally. Around 40% of that energy used is consumed in conventional grinding operations, some of which are less than 5% efficient. According to Jonas Olsson, Director for Strategy and Business Development at Sandvik Rock Processing Solutions, there is a huge potential to save energy by rethinking the comminution process. “We have made it our mission to help our customers find the best sustainable solution .... read more

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

FEATURE - Drilling Tools

Sustainable Tooling By Design
We look at new drill tool designs, programs and initiatives that are driving sustainability in mining.

By Carly Leonida, European Editor.

The past 12 months have seen a host of new drill tools — bits, buttons, rods and shanks — introduced to the market by manufacturers around the globe. Underpinning these are three clear trends: efficiency, longevity and sustainability. This triumvirate is ushering in a new age of performance and success in mine drilling applications, both surface and underground. While sustainability isn’t a traditional measure of success in drill tools, today, it’s every bit as important (pun intended) as longevity and efficiency; in fact, the three go hand-in-hand. The United Nations Brundtland Commission defines sustainability as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs .... read more

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

FEATURE - Soft Rock Mining

Soft Rock Miners Are Spending Now to Secure Future Market Success
The fertilizer mineral market has lately resembled a rollercoaster ride, but the soft rock sector’s project pipeline holds a steady flow of investments ranging from millions to billions.

By Russell A. Carter, Contributing Editor

The relative strength of an industrial sector can be at least partially judged by the characteristics of its most notable projects; for instance, their announced production capacity, level of technological sophistication and capital cost. Applying these measures to soft rock mining yields results that compare favorably with many of the generally more-publicized top projects in various hard rock mining segments, with some soft rock projects featuring capital costs in the multi-billion dollar range, advanced technologies and heightened environmental impact sensitivity. .... read more

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

Video Presentations

The latest listings from the World Mining Equipment Video Library - to view the video, click the image.

Cummins QST30 Manufacturing Timelapse	Sandvik Curved Thread System	Normet Charmec Revo
Aramine SmartParts Eshop	Volvo Penta Shaping the Future of Off-Highway	FLSmidth Sustainable In-Pit Crushing
Tomra Mining Lithium Seminar	MMD Wet & Sticky Sizing	Arkema Additives for Mineral Processing
BME Xplolog Xplocharge	Hitachi ConSite Mine Shot	Loadscan Payload Scanner in Action
For more details on the Video Hub - Go Here

SUPPLIERS REPORTS & EQUIPMENT GALLERY

Michelin Receives Caterpillar Excellence Award
Michelin North America announces it has won the Caterpillar Supplier Excellence Award 2023 from Caterpillar. “Caterpillar depends on premiere suppliers like Michelin to provide high-quality, defect-free products that meet or exceed their standards. We are proud that our team has collaborated closely with Caterpillar to help them .... read more

LKAB Increase Its Sandvik Electric Loading Fleet
LKAB has ordered 12 Toro™ LH625iE cable-electric loaders and five Toro™ LH621i loaders, all equipped with Sandvik’s AutoMine® solution, for its iron ore underground mine in Kiruna, northern Sweden. The orders were booked in the June and December quarters of 2023, with deliveries scheduled from January 2024 through the end of 2025. The investment follows ....read more

Cummins Opens New Pilot Installation in Germany
Cummins Inc. has announced the opening of a new Pilot Installation Centre at its Marktheidenfeld, Germany site. The centre will specialise in vehicle and machinery in-use emissions compliance testing. This new facility enhances its European customer support and vehicle testing capabilities across mainland Europe .... read more

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Metso Launch Magnetic Separation Plant Units
Metso has introduced modular Magnetic Separation Plant Units designed for high recovery and simplified operation. “As the industry leader in mining process technology and modularity, we are excited to launch the Magnetic Separation Plant Units. Besides easy installation and maintenance, the scalable units have been designed to provide unrivaled selectivity, resulting in ....read more

Weir Minerals Study Highlights Energy Saving Possibilities in Comminution
The Weir Group PLC has completed a study that highlights a significant opportunity to reduce energy use and emissions in comminution, the rock crushing process that is key to minerals extraction, and that consumes around 3% of the world’s electrical power each year1. The study shows that .... read more

Komatsu Announce Plans to Acquire American Battery Solutions
Komatsu, through its wholly owned subsidiary in the U.S., Komatsu America Corp., has agreed to acquire American Battery Solutions, Inc. (ABS), a battery manufacturer in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A. ABS develops and manufactures a wide variety of heavy-duty and industrial battery .... read more

TOMRA Mining XRT Installed at Saloro’s Tungsten Mine
Tungsten is considered a strategic commodity and is categorized as a “critical raw material” by the EU as it is an essential industrial metal with unique properties used in the production of hard metals, specialist steels and super alloys, as well as aerospace, electronics and military applications.The Saloro mine in Barruecopardo is one of the most important in Europe, and one of the few outside China .…. read more

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AI and ESG Innovations from Micromine
Micromine introduces new features and enhancements across its product suite, furthering its mission to deliver state-of-the-art technology to reshape the mining industry, says the company. The 2024 Release, powered by the company's cloud-native data sharing and collaboration tool, Micromine Nexus, introduces ....read more

CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS

FEBRUARY 5-8, 2024: Mining Indaba, Cape Town, South Africa.
Contact: Web: www.miningindaba.com

FEBRUARY 25-28, 2024: Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME), Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Contact: Web: www.smenet.org

MARCH 3-6, 2024: Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC), Toronto, Canada.
Contact: Web: www.pdac.ca

SEPTEMBER 24-26, 2024: MineExpo International 2024, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Contact: Web: https://www.minexpo.com/

APRIL 6-9, 2025: Haulage and Loading, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
Contact: Web: https://www.haulageandloading.com/

JUNE 3-5 2025: US Coal Show - Longwall Edition, Pittsburgh, PA. USA
Contact: Web: https://www.uscoalshow.com

WHO'S MOVING WHERE

Osisko Gold Royalties Ltd. named Jason Attew as president and CEO, effective no later than January 2, 2024. He will also join Osisko board. The company also announced that Norman MacDonald has been appointed as chair, effective immediately, succeeding Sean Roosen. Roosen will continue as a director with the title, “chair Emeritus,” to honor his legacy as founder of Osisko and his continuing contributions to the company. The change reflects Mr. Roosen’s desire to focus on his role as CEO of Osisko Development Corp. Attew was most recently the president and CEO of Liberty Gold Corp. Prior to that, he was the president and CEO of Gold Standard Ventures Corp. until its acquisition by Orla Mining Ltd. In addition to being a director of Osisko since June 2023, MacDonald is partner, natural resources, at Fort Capital.

The Colorado School of Mines (CSM) appointed Bill Zisch to lead the mining engineering department as the first-ever J. Steven Whisler Chair for the Head of Mining Engineering. CSM said the chair was endowed as part of a historic $7.5 million investment from alum J. Steven Whisler and his wife, Ardyce, of Whitefish, Montana, to ensure that its mining engineering program continues to be the No. 1-ranked program in the world. Zisch served as COO for Argonaut Gold and CEO of Midway Gold. He was also the vice president of operations at Royal Gold and vice president of planning and vice president of Africa/Central Asia operations at Newmont.

Cameco appointed Catherine Gignac its chair. She succeeds Ian Bruce, who passed away in October (see E&JM, November 2023). Gignac has been a member of Cameco’s board since 2014. She has more than 30 years of experience in capital markets and the mining industry and has held senior positions as a mining equity research analyst with leading global brokerage firms and independent boutiques.

Lundin Mining Corp.’s CEO Peter Rockandel will step down at the end of the year. The role of president and CEO will be assumed by Jack Lundin , current president and former director of the company. He will rejoin the board on January 1, 2024. Jack has served as president during the company’s acquisition of a majority interest in the Caserones mine in Chile and the advancement of its portfolio of growth projects.

Taseko Mines Ltd. appointed Richard Tremblay COO and Terry Morris as vice president, operations. Tremblay joined Taseko in 2014 as general manager of the Gibraltar mine before transitioning to the corporate leadership team where he has been acting as senior vice president, operations in recent years. Morris was most recently with Barrick Gold in mine management roles at Pueblo Viejo in the Dominican Republic, and the Turquoise Ridge and Phoenix mines in Nevada, USA.

Trigon Metals Inc. appointed Rennie Morkel president and COO as Jed Richardson transitions to the role as executive chairman. The company also named Andreas “Andy” Rompel as its new vice president exploration.

Talisker Resources Ltd. appointed Felipe Castaneda vice president of technical services. He previously held the position of technical services manager at Talisker managing project quality control and quality assurance, mineral resource statement, mineral tenure and assessment reporting, procurement and contractor engagement.

Epiroc promoted Erik Svedlund to global business manager for sustainability. After driving sustainability through battery technology within Epiroc’s underground division, he will now have the opportunity to drive sustainability at the group level. Epiroc also announced that Sami Niiranen, president of Epiroc’s Underground division, will leave Epiroc for a position outside the Group in May 2024.

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