International - Copperbelt Katanga Mining

Sandvik launches new rock tools, including Tundo RH650 DTH hammer, at MINExpo 1

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions is introducing a new down-the-hole (DTH) hammer, among many new innovations, at MINExpo 2021 in Las Vegas, this week. The company says it is launching several new rock tools at MINExpo, with its new Tundo™ RH650 DTH hammer one of the highlights. This DTH hammer can, the company says, reduce fuel consumption by up to 15% while increasing penetration rates by up to 20%. Sandvik is also introducing its heavy duty top hammer drill bits, the new Autobit and its Charger™ RR450 rotary drill bit, which can achieve… Read More Here

Equipment & Technology International Mining technology

Combining the best of Sandvik and Artisan – the new 50 t TH550B battery truck launches, with 65 t TH665B next

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 admin

The new Sandvik TH550B 50 t battery-electric truck, the company says, combines the best of two worlds: Sandvik’s half-century of experience designing and manufacturing equipment for the underground mining industry, and the innovative Artisan™ battery packs and electric drivelines. “This combination of proven solutions and third-generation BEV technology is a game changer for any site in pursuit of a more sustainable and highly productive fleet.” Rethink the machine, keep the same mine The Sandvik TH550B combines proven solutions and third-generation BEV technology. The truck has been designed to best utilise… Read More Here

International Equipment & Technology Mining technology

Komatsu’s MC51 hard-rock cutting tech up and running at Vale’s Garson mine

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 admin

Vale and Komatsu’s mechanical rock excavation (MRE) collaboration has moved into another gear, with the Komatsu MC51 machine featuring DynaCut mechanical cutting technology now operating underground at Vale’s Garson nickel mine in Sudbury, Canada, Vale’s Dino Otranto confirmed at MINExpo 2021, in Las Vegas, today. Speaking at the ‘Creating value together: Special one-time presentation with Vale’ event on Monday, Otranto, Chief Operating Officer of North Atlantic Operations and Asian Refineries for Vale, said the machine was in operation, 2.5 km underground at Garson after recently being assembled. The machine is scheduled… Read More Here

Equipment & Technology International Mining technology

Autonomous electric drive Cat 794 AC projects progress at QB2 & Quellaveco

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 admin

Since the Cat® 794 AC electric drive truck debuted at MINExpo 2016, the global fleet has logged more than 780,000 hours of field operation, averaging physical availability of 90%. Offering up to 8% better payload and faster speed-on-grade, the 794 AC delivers up to 10% more productivity than competitive trucks. The 794 AC truck field fleet has tripled over the last two years to more than 150 units with the highest-hour truck logging more than 52,000 hours. They are working in coal and hard rock, deep pit and flat haul sites… Read More Here

Events & Expos Equipment & Technology International Mining technology

MINExpo Highlights Massive Machines and Technology Advancements for the Mining Industry

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 admin

Traditionally, MINExpo is held every four years as a means to showcase the latest cutting-edge equipment, innovations, services and technologies that can take mining operations to the next level and ensure long-term growth. After that four-year gap was extended by nearly a year due to COVID, the industry is ready and eager to move forward, coming back stronger than ever with the in-person event taking place September 13 to 15 in Las Vegas. As the world’s largest mining event, MINExpo covers the entire industry: exploration, mine development, open pit and underground mining,… Read More Here

International Mining technology

Epiroc to acquire specialist in mining vehicle battery conversions

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 admin

Epiroc, a leading productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and infrastructure industries, has agreed to acquire the business and assets of FVT Research Inc., a Canadian company with expertise in converting diesel-powered mining machines to battery-electric vehicles. FVT Research, based in Vancouver, Canada, designs diesel-to-battery conversion kits and rebuilds mining machines to electric versions. The company has also recently been part of a successful project to convert the diesel-powered Epiroc Scooptram ST1030 loader to battery electric. FVT Research has about 25 employees and had revenues in 2020 of $3.16… Read More Here

Mining in Zambia Gold International Mining Companies

Barrick eyes new mines, not deals, for future growth

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 admin

Barrick Gold Corp (ABX.TO) Chief Executive Mark Bristow spent years burnishing his reputation as an aggressive dealmaker, but he says now he is focused on new mines that he hopes will boost profit and the company’s sagging stock price. The strategy eschews the acquisition appetite that made Barrick what it is today and instead pins the company’s growth on exploration projects in Egypt, Nevada, Guyana and elsewhere. “The very foundation of our future has to be our geologists and where we are investing,” Bristow told Reuters on the sidelines of the MINExpo… Read More Here

Copper International

Copper price down as labour conflicts in Chile resolved, supply concerns fade

September 14, 2021September 14, 2021 admin

The copper price fell again on Monday on signs that strike risks are all but over in Chile, the world’s biggest producer. In quick succession, mining companies in Chile have resolved a series of labor conflicts. On Friday, plant workers at Codelco’s Andina mine agreed to end a more than three-week stoppage. The next day, workers at BHP Group’s Cerro Colorado mine accepted an offer hammered out by the two negotiating teams in mediated talks, avoiding a strike. The recent breakthroughs follow strike-ending agreements earlier this month with the two main unions… Read More Here

International Innovation

How Metals Can Be Extracted From Volcanoes

September 13, 2021September 13, 2021 Chilombo Mahambabrines, metals

Scientists at the University of Oxford have demonstrated how it is possible to directly extract valuable metals from hot salty fluids (‘brines’) trapped in porous rocks at depths of around 2km below dormant volcanoes. They propose this radical green-mining approach to provide essential metals for a net zero future – copper, gold, zinc, silver and lithium – in a sustainable way. Magma beneath volcanoes releases gases that rise towards the surface. These gases are rich in metals. As the pressure drops, the gases separate into steam and brine. Most metals… Read More Here

Copper International

Copper price up as inflation runs hot

September 10, 2021September 10, 2021 admin

A broad rally in base metals markets is gathering pace, with tight supply, logistical logjams and booming demand creating an inflationary storm that’s driving prices to multiyear highs. Aluminum notched a fresh 13-year high and nickel rose to the highest since 2014 in London. The surge in commodities, as well as soaring shipping and power costs, is fueling global consumer prices. China’s factory-gate inflation accelerated to a 13-year high, while US consumer prices are forecast to rise by more than 5% for a third straight month. With aluminum prices surging 43% this year, the… Read More Here