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Hydropower can effect 90% reduction in drilling energy

PRECISE Hydropowered drilling can achieve improved advance rates through more accurate drilling

BENEFICIAL Hydropowered mining offers real and immediate benefits

17th July 2015

By: Bruce Montiea

Creamer Media Reporter

  

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Hydropowered rock drills can reduce the drilling energy requirement of a mine by up to 90%, compared with pneumatic systems, as they operate at more than twice the penetration rate of air drills, says hydropowered technology solutions company Novatek Drills.

“Pneumatically powered mines are increasingly starting to consider hydropower as compressors become burdensomely expensive to operate and rock-drill operator costs surge without any gain in productivity,” adds Novatek Drills MD Julian Wills.

He tells Mining Weekly that, when coupled with appropriate technology drilling rigs, hydropowered drilling can achieve improved advance rates of more than 20 m a month through more accurate drilling. He adds that using this method in hand-drilled stopes enables Novatek to achieve more than 24 m a month, as well as 40 m a month in raises on a single shift basis.

However, Wills says many mines are still unable to capitalise on this productivity advantage, mainly as a result of reluctance to deal with the issue of subsequent perceived job losses and moving away from traditional operating methods.

“The general tendency is to overequip a working area, based on the pneumatic rule-of-thumb of one driller per 10 m face length in gold mines, and one driller per 15 m face length in platinum mines.”

In many instances, one hydrodriller can complete a panel in the usual time at a platinum mine, says Wills, adding that, besides reducing the number of workers who are exposed to hazards in the working area, capital equipment costs can also be significantly reduced.

“The extra people can be reassigned to other tasks that are needed to support the higher mining rate. Their costs become less significant when the revenues from faster mining are realised.”

Hydropowered mining is a proven technology that offers real and immediate benefits, with only minor changes to existing mining processes required, Wills tells Mining Weekly.

He adds that the technique does not require mine redesign, orebody dilution and costly investment in capital outlay or extensive upskilling of the workforce.

“There is also little risk of not achieving the required production thresholds, which are needed to make the system pay for itself.”

Wills says Novatek collaborates with a number of contract miners and suppliers to provide mines with hydropower products and services that are best suited to the needs of each mine.

He says the company offers a complete package. Together with its partners, it can provide turnkey systems to fully equip complete working areas with pumps, water conditioning, water reticulation, valves, rock drills, bolters, rigs, saws, cleaners and explosives loaders. In addition, the company also provides planning, design, training and maintenance services.

“For instance, some mines prefer gravity-powered water-pressure systems, while others prefer centralised pumpstations that supply a complete working raiseline and others [the use of] smaller pumps to power one or two rock drills. These preferences require different levels of technical skills and infrastructure, as well as specific training and support to provide the customer with the appropriate solution.”

Aiding the Industry

The challenges that the South African mining industry faces are significant. These include increased regulation and sociopolitical factors, industrial relations and workforce expectations that are not compatible with sustainable business, electricity restrictions, escalating costs and a shortage of skills, says Wills.

“There are no cure-alls, but Novatek’s experience is that hydropowered mining can make a significant contribution to solving these problems.”

He says mechanisation is usually considered the obvious solution and game-changer to address the mining industry’s productivity and labour issues. “There are sophisticated machines available and there are also various research initiatives under way towards advanced and remote-controlled mining systems.”

Wills adds that the way mining is conducted in South Africa will undisputably evolve in this direction.

However, he points out that mechanisation is not always applicable, as many orebodies and operations are unsuitable for mechanisation. Further, the skills to manage and operate such mechanised systems are not readily available and there is also a moral and social obligation towards employing existing workforces and communities in South Africa.

“Mechanisation promises high production rates – which it must deliver to be economically viable – but this is only possible in the appropriate mining environment, with excellent planning, operation and maintenance. All too often, this is not achieved and costs become prohibitive,” says Wills.

Hydropowered mining systems are, therefore, of relevance. He tells Mining Weekly that hydropowered mining systems are suitable as they offer the opportunity to evolve from currently using hand-held mining drills to progressively more mechanised methods.

Wills adds that these methods are suitable for narrow-reef mining in steeply dipping tabular orebodies, where access is difficult and the environment is harsh, which “could be helpful for a large portion of South Africa’s gold and platinum reserves”.

He says hydropowered mining technology has proven itself in many of the country’s mines as a productive, energy efficient and appropriate means of mining that is also cost effective.

Edited by Leandi Kolver
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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