Innovation is the new black
Richard Roberts, 15 December 2011
PERHAPS not surprisingly, Rio Tinto topped a list of mining industry innovators nominated by the world’s top mining IT company executives in HighGrade’s annual IT sector survey.
The nominations were specifically for information and communication technology related innovation and a number of respondents said there was no clear leader in the field. However, many said Rio Tinto stood out for its Western Australia iron ore operations centre and proposed long-distance remote control of plant and equipment in the Pilbara iron ore province, more than 1500km from its Perth city-based operations centre. Then there was the proposed large-scale deployment of automated equipment over the next five years, headlined by the Komatsu autonomous truck roll-out.
“Rio Tinto continues to set a strong pace of innovation in the mining sector,” said MineWare CEO Andrew Jessett.
“This is predominantly due to their focus on building a futuristic mine model at their remote operations centre in Perth … [which has] has brought together innovations required in all aspects of mining, including haulage, rail, and port.
“However, we are seeing an increased level of innovation in other companies too,” Jessett said.
“Generally, these are focused on specific areas of mining and don’t have the same scale of pit-to-port style innovation which Rio Tinto has demonstrated this year.”
Snowden group general manager technologies Rob Williamson said the company was also seeing a strong showing from mid-tier companies who were realising the value of technology as they were expanding their operations.
“The major mining houses are still driving the market as they have the budget and expansion plans requiring innovation to improve efficiency,” he said.
Modular Mining Systems VP sales and marketing Mike Lewis said Rio Tinto’s purchase of 150 Komatsu autonomous trucks was the fruition of more than 15 years of work between Komatsu in Japan, Komatsu America, Komatsu Australia and Modular Mining Systems.
“This deal also highlights the value of industry partnerships with forward-thinking corporations like Rio Tinto,” Lewis said.
Micromine solution delivery and development manager, Pitram, Ivan Zelina said gold major Newmont Mining Corp’s focus on underground mine technology and innovation was impressive.
“It looks like Newmont have pushed a bit further than anyone else with the implementation of wireless networks (802.11) in their underground mines,” he said.
“Many of us wouldn’t be without a wireless network even in our houses, yet most mines run their operation without high-bandwidth wireless data networks covering entire operation. The whole world is wireless, communicating like there is no tomorrow, yet when we get to many mines we find only LANs in the offices.”
MineRP VP marketing Empie Strydom said BHP Billiton and Gold Fields International had done “significant work” in understanding the complexities of standardisation in the mining technical environment.
US-based Mintec president John Davies said the larger mining houses continued to push innovation and it was “exciting to be in the industry these days”.
“Remote operations centres, autonomous equipment, web-based reporting technologies are all coming into play,” he said.
Gemcom president Rick Moignard said companies such as Dundee Precious Metals were demonstrating the forward thinking approach being adopted by a number of mid-tier miners the Canadian software developer was working with.
Dundee was leveraging technologies from Gemcom, Sandvik, and wireless vendors to be able to track and monitor its underground assets (people and equipment) and operations in real time at the Chelopech gold and copper mine in Bulgaria.
“At the core of the solution is our Gemcom InSite mine production management software, which delivers data in real time to a control room monitoring system,” Moignard said.
“InSite will support Chelopech’s initiative of doubling its yearly production of ore while reducing operating costs.”
Rick Howes, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Dundee, said InSite provided the tools that would help the company improve efficiencies across the operation, including metal balance from the block model through to final product.
“This will create synergies between the mine and the mill, resulting in productivity gains such as improved equipment utilisation and greater throughput,” he said.
Also in the December 15 - 21, 2011 edition
- AFRICA
- Eritrea risk narrows Zara field
- ASIA DESK
- Not all good as gold in China
- AUSTMINE
- MST buys Nixon Communications
- BREAKING NEWS
- Abenab progress for Avonlea
- Alara advances
- Alcoa declares divi
- Alcyone search boost
- Better news for St Barb
- Black Fire complies
- Bu Dun Hua copper
- Chief sees higher rating for Endeavour
- Cockatoo extension
- Impala sacks drillers
- Industrea win
- Kingston shines
- Maiden Rosie resource
- More Bass trouble
- More concerns on uranium supply
- Nany option exercised
- Newcrest output up
- Palito reassessment
- Pegasus finds copper
- PGM output up
- Radar on track
- Redhill expands holding
- Rio in control
- River attraction for Silver Lake
- Southern Cross ready to move forward
- Stonehenge sets sights high
- Straits gain
- Strategic permit
- Tanoyan update for Reliance
- Trafford's exploration boost
- Two Rivers death
- Ventnor copper hits
- WA uranium policy
- West Rand mines to merge
- Windfall at lake
- Winmar attracts investor
- Yellowhead on track
- CENTRAL ASIA
- Can miners really side-step a war?
- COAL
- Mardon's new year wish
- CONSULTING
- Consultants see room to grow in 2012
- Lory leads SKM mining into new growth phase
- CONTRACTING
- Contracting briefs: Redpath, Thiess, Decmil
- FINANCE
- A golden path to Dubbo development
- Copper deficit a fixture for the future
- Kagara opts for safety first
- Money’s almost too tight to mention
- Terramin view expected to become clearer
- FORUM
- How the JORC and Valmin codes work
- More must buy into JORC discussion
- FROM THE CAPITAL
- Capital management will be key 2012 theme
- GOLD
- Loyal to the cause
- Upside seen despite Teranga downslide
- HEAVY METAL
- Atlas Copco expands mining range
- ISSUES
- State-run miners: best of a bad bunch
- MINING
- Independence gloom unwarranted
- MINING INTELLIGENCE
- 'tis the season (still) to be wary
- MINING IT
- Auto-money changes everything
- IT notebook: ARANZ Geo, Immersive Technologies
- IT notebook: Devex receives certification
- IT optimists
- Mining IT: 2011 rebooted
- Mining IT: product releases to fill 2012 calendar
- XPAC to lead dynamic software revival
- PEOPLE
- People on the move: Gindalbie Metals, Abcourt Mines, Carbon Energy
- SOUTH AMERICA
- Chili backers like its prospects
- VIEW FROM THE WEST END
- Bitten on the bum by a Black Swan
