A lot of people are entering the coal sector with no experience in coal whatsoever, nonprofit trust Fossil Fuel Foundation (FFF) lead coal course presenter and coal industry specialist Alan Johns tells Mining Weekly.

“People lack insight and awareness about the complications of coal handling, sampling and analysis, which is necessary for people in the mining industry to make good business decisions and deliver [high-] quality coal,” he says.

Johns explains that attendants of the FFF courses are usually new entrants in the coal mining and industrial consumer world, but also notes a drop in the number of people attending these courses. The average number of people attending an FFF course has declined from 35 to the low tens. However, those who do attend have an advantage over those who do not, he says.

Johns has been working to educate members of the coal mining industry since the FFF’s inception in 1994.

He has a government-issued mine assayers certificate of competence and decades of experience in coal production, use, trade and laboratory-based quality testing and presents the FFF’s coal sampling and analysis course.

The course provides a foundation for those who are new to coal handling and a sound basis for coal sampling and analysis techniques, knowledge of industry requirements and encourages the most efficient use of coal resources.

All the courses offered by the FFF are based on International Organisation for Standardisation standards, which are reviewed and amended every five years and the presenters incorporate relevant changes to the course material as required.

In terms of new technology, Johns notes there is little on the way. “It’s a matter of doing the same thing in a slightly different manner . . . automated sampling systems and automated analysis systems have been around for a while, but they tend to be expensive. I believe that traditional coal sampling and analysis will remain the norm for a long time.”

The sampling and analysis course includes information on manual and mechanical sampling systems, and the technical processes of sampling coal correctly. “We start off by looking at how coal is formed and give an [explanation] as to why it’s such a complex product to sample correctly. We also work through the pitfalls of sampling, the bias testing of automatic sampling machines and sample preparation for analysis,” explains Johns.

He presented the course on January 24 and 25 at the Glenhove Conference Centre, in Johannesburg. Attendees were introduced to sampling theory, definitions and interpretations of terminology, stockpiling methods and equipment, and sampling during mining and conveying on the first day. Coal quality and analysis, mechanical tests for coal and advanced tests for predicting coal quality were covered on the second day.

Two other courses presented by the FFF include the blending and mixing of coal for marketing and the failure of coal mine projects. This year, these courses took place on March 15 and 16 respectively, also at the Glenhove Conference Centre.

The blending course was presented by consulting geologist Gerhard Esterhuizen and it addressed problems such as the need to produce large quantities of coal for the marketplace by combining products from different sources, which can be successful, or disastrous. This course also focused on understanding coal seam issues, establishing compatible components and the impacts – good or bad – on coal blending.

Content in the blending course includes definitions and interpretations of terminology, an overview of chemical composition, the physical properties and petrographic characteristics of coal and additive and nonadditive coal qualities and the effects of blending coal. Question-and-answer sessions were held during the course to discuss problem cases and outcomes, results from coal compatibility tests and the effect South African coal will have on the blending process.

The course on failure of coal mine projects, also presented by Esterhuizen, addressed the rates of failure in new or smaller mines and identified safeguards that can be employed to reduce failure rates. This course also aimed to analyse and evaluate case studies to establish root causes of failure and understand competence levels of role-players in the company.

Course content included nonconformance and case study discussions, question-and-answer sessions and the design and use of templates in coal mine projects, as well as preventive discussions on future failure at projects.

The FFF advises geologists attend these courses, as well as mineral resource managers, mining and mineral processing engineers, marketing officers, industrial users of coal, coal exporters and traders, researchers, coal mine owners and investors.

Esterhuizen holds a degree in geology from the University of the Free State and an honours degree in energy studies from the University of Johannesburg. His expertise ranges from coal exploration and business development to coal quality.

The FFF courses have been developed for industry under the banner of the Professional Development Centre, the education and training arm of the FFF.

The foundation comprises individuals from industry, government, nongovernment organisations, academia and technology who contribute to the advancement of fossil fuels in South Africa.

Therefore, the foundation offers an independent multidisciplinary forum committed to the development of individuals, industry and government through ongoing education, conferences and courses.

The FFF assists in coordinating projects, including national policies and regional coal research and development.