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Drilling and Tunnelling News
Call for better understanding of trackless mobile mining equipment regulations
By: Ilan Solomons 10th November 2017 Mechanisation of the South African mining sector is a major priority for all stakeholders. However, with the introduction of mechanised mining technologies come several new challenges, one of which relates to the brakes and in-service brake testing of trackless mobile mining (TMM) equipment, says... →
South Africa’s Master Drilling expands into India, Australia
By: Martin Creamer 1st November 2017 Raise bore drilling company Master Drilling on Wednesday announced its expansion into India, where it will support a zinc mine, and Australia, where it will support a gold project. The Johannesburg Stock Exchange-listed company said it would be deploying a large raisebore machine to a Vedanta... →
Master Drilling CEO Danie Pretorius
Drill series evolved to increase cost effectiveness and productivity
By: Nica Schreuder 27th October 2017 Intelligence platforms have been added to Sweden-headquartered engineering company Sandvik Mining and Technology’s Ranger series of drills to allow for automation, data connectivity and improved drilling processes, increasing productivity for customers. An example of this integration and the... →
Small-scale opencast mining to boost industry
By: Nica Schreuder 27th October 2017 For diamond mining company De Beers’ Venetia mine GM, Benford Mokoatle, opencast mining is the future, owing to changing priorities and mindsets within industry, which must occur to sustain the mining industry in South Africa. Specifically, Mokoatle says the country must begin focusing on... →
Safer rock-breaking alternatives offered
By: Marleny Arnoldi 20th October 2017 Rock-breaking technology supplier Nxco Mining Technologies offers nondetonating cartridges that use a pyrotechnic composition to break rock based on its tensile strength, rather than on its compressive strength as is the case with traditional explosives. →
Rise in DRC exploration activity expected
20th October 2017 With the improvements in the copper price, mining interest will soon be returning to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), says mining consultancy SRK Consulting country manager Susa Maleba. “In fact, for explorers wanting to initiate drilling programmes, time is running out,” says Maleba.... →
Gamsberg zinc project a thumbs up for South Africa amid investment slowdown
By: Mia Breytenbach 20th October 2017 Amid low levels of capital project activities in South Africa, the $400-million Gamsberg zinc and lead project, in the Northern Cape, has become the largest mining project under execution in the country. “Commentators have noted that this significant investment in the South African mining... →
Atlas Copco
20th October 2017 A world-leading provider of sustainable productivity solutions, Atlas Copco is characterised by focused businesses, a global presence with direct sales and service, a strong, stable and growing service business, professional people and an asset-light and flexible manufacturing setup. “We are... →
Large and small miners announce, plan contract awards for Moz projects
By: Keith Campbell 6th October 2017 Brazilian mining group Vale has awarded Mota-Engil Africa a $445-million contract to supply mining services to the Moatize coal mine, in Mozambique’s Tete province, the Macauhub news agency has reported. Mota-Engil Africa is a subsidiary of the Portuguese engineering, construction, contract... →
Botswana Diamonds to start drilling at Limpopo project in October
By: Mia Breytenbach 29th September 2017 Diamond exploration and project development company Botswana Diamonds has announced that it will start large diameter drilling (LDD) at the Zebediela project, in Limpopo, next month. Zebediela forms part of the Vutomi Joint Venture project, at Frischgewaagt. Seventeen reverse circulation... →
Offshore capital equipment markets come in handy amid ‘turmoil’ in domestic mining sector
By: Donna Slater 29th September 2017 South African capital equipment manufacturers that are exporting, and which have survived the ongoing turmoil in the mining industry and domestic economic environment, have showed resilience and bear testament to the lifeline provided through exporting products and not relying solely on sales... →
Master Drilling aiming to extend geographical, technological diversification
By: Mia Breytenbach 22nd September 2017 Raise-boring and drilling solutions provider Master Drilling continues to extend its service provision capacity and technology reach, with the company focusing on diversifying into new markets and industries and advancing technologically. “Diversification across geographies, commodities,... →
Canadian-listed junior plans further drilling to increase Guinea project resource base 
By: Mia Breytenbach 15th September 2017 TSX-V-listed Volcanic Gold Mines plans to drill within the significantly expanded mineralized footprint defined by air-core drilling adjacent to the inferred mineral resource at its Mandiana gold project, with a view to a resource increase and is actively orientating its exploration programme... →
Botswana Diamonds plans additional drilling at South Africa project
By: Mia Breytenbach 12th September 2017 Aim-listed Botswana Diamonds’ shares on the LSE rose by nearly 20% on Tuesday as the company announced it would start large diameter drilling (LDD) at the Zebediela project, in Limpopo, in October. Zebediela forms part of the Vutomi Joint Venture project, at Frischgewaagt. →
Master Drilling posts resilient interim results, continues technological innovation focus
By: Mia Breytenbach 12th September 2017 Two additional machines and the impact of favourable foreign-exchange movements have contributed to a 12.5% increase in JSE-listed drilling services provider Master Drilling’s revenue to $60.5-million for the six months ended June 30. The group added two raise-bore machines during the period... →
Notable shaftsinking progress achieved at Blanket mine
By: Tasneem Bulbulia 8th September 2017 Southern Africa-focused gold miner Caledonia Mining Corporation “is progressing well” with the sinking of a central shaft at its Blanket gold mine, in Zimbabwe, Caledonia CFO Mark Learmonth tells Mining Weekly. The company is “very happy” with the progress made thus far, he says, with the... →
Narrow-reef mining solutions in the works
By: Tasneem Bulbulia 25th August 2017 With the platinum mining industry in South Africa experiencing tough times, technology has become a major driver in reducing costs and facilitating improved productivity, and global engineering group Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology is assisting in this regard through its strides in... →
NIEL MCCOY Sandvik believes that platinum is the toughest mining equipment application to manage
Gamsberg project to retore Vedanta’s zinc output to 300 000 t/y from mid-2018
By: Mia Breytenbach 25th August 2017 Diversified miner Vedanta Resources subsidiary Zinc International has committed more than 80% of the $400-million capital expenditure (capex) for the first phase of the Gamsberg zinc project, in the Northern Cape. The first phase of the project is expected to have a mine life of 13 years,... →
PROGRESSING WELL More than 25-million tonnes of the estimated 65-million to 70-million tonnes of waste rock have been excavated at the Gamsberg project
Local mine to adopt new generation jumbo drill rig
By: Simone Liedtke 18th August 2017 Mining company Vedanta Resources’ Black Mountain base metals mine, in the Northern Cape, will later this year become the first local mine to adopt a new generation jumbo drill rig equipped with an intelligent control system from high-technology engineering group Sandvik. →
Progress at Botswana copper project
18th August 2017 Investor in strategic natural resource opportunities Metal Tiger has received all sample assays from previous infill /extensional drilling at its T3 copper/silver project, in Botswana, and is making good progress with its prefeasibility study (PFS) which is on track for completion in the fourth... →
INVESTIGATION PENDING The market and smelter investigation for the T3 project has been put on hold until production and concentrate specification is available
Blasting and drilling increasingly automated
By: Robyn Wilkinson 28th July 2017 Ongoing developments to underground mining solutions provider iRing’s mine planning software suite are increasingly automating blasting and drilling operations, providing increased accuracy and safety in hazardous mining environments. →
NEW ERA iRing aims to demystify blasting and drilling operations through its software solutions, making them safer and more efficient
Canada’s First Cobalt hoping to seal DRC exploration deal by next month
By: Mia Breytenbach 21st July 2017 Cobalt asset group First Cobalt aims to close the transaction of a strategic alliance for a 70% interest in seven prospective copper/cobalt exploration properties in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) by next month and progress exploration in one of the world’s “high-reward cobalt... →
Hydropower – what the industry needs now
By: Marleny Arnoldi 21st July 2017 The contraction in the South African mining industry has resulted in many projects and expansions stalling in recent years, with mines having closed or scaled back on capital and operational expenditure. →
Largest-diameter hole reamed in Africa – contractor
14th July 2017 The reaming phase of a 7.3-m-diameter hole at South African integrated energy and chemicals company Sasol’s Impumelelo coal mine, in Mpumulanga, has been completed, setting an African record for the largest-diameter hole reamed to date, says South African mining company Redpath Mining. Mining... →
Golden prospects following exploration in Mali and Senegal
By: Nica Schreuder 14th July 2017 Privately owned UK-based gold exploration company Cora Gold believes there is strong potential to ultimately increase the scale of the discovery at the Sanankoro project to a size suitable for consideration as a standalone gold mine hence the project being the primary focus of the company’s... →
Laguna Verde surveys yield encouraging results
7th July 2017 Mineral resource company Wealth Minerals has completed transient electromagnetic and gravity geophysical surveys at the Laguna Verde lithium project, in northern Chile, with its geophysical contractor reporting that the data quality is good to excellent for both surveys. The resulting gravity... →
Mining Indaba offering new junior zone, boosting interface opportunities
By: Martin Creamer 4th July 2017 Strong new thrusts are planned for next year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba, which is scheduled to take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from February 5 to 8, once again to support investment in mining companies operating in Africa and to provide an effective platform... →
Association applying changes to expand representation
By: Simone Liedtke 23rd June 2017 Owing to it being approached by various other opencast mining and quarrying companies and bodies, private-sector producers’ association Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa) will from now on only be known as Aspasa as it has dropped the ‘aggregate and sand’ from its... →
Multidisciplinary mining company says market is challenging
By: Simone Liedtke 23rd June 2017 With the general depletion of natural sand reserves around South Africa, especially within large cities, multidisciplinary materials openpit mining company Afrimat has invested in sand producing plants – especially in Gauteng – to produce high-quality concrete sands to ensure higher concrete... →
Process-focused solution ups output
23rd June 2017 North West sand and aggregate supplier CNC Crushers raised throughput by 45% at its Roadstone Shaft 5 crushing plant while simultaneously cutting back on maintenance, after implementing a full process-focused solution from industrial equipment supplier Weir Minerals Africa. →
Method leads to increased productivity
By: Marleny Arnoldi 23rd June 2017 Mining industry drilling services provider Rosond has adopted an approach to drilling equipment maintenance which entails identifying trends to assist it in applying engineering fixes, altering maintenance periods and educating operational staff accordingly. “We follow a productive approach, with... →
Stator introduced for reduced energy and maintenance costs
16th June 2017 Solutions provider for difficult pumping applications Netzsch Pumps North America has introduced the iFD-Stator 2.0, which it says combines efficiency, economy and environmental safety in one system. Featuring a two-part, reusable stator housing and replaceable stator, the iFD-Stator 2.0 is... →
Modern exploration tech to revive local diamond mining
By: Robyn Wilkinson 9th June 2017 With the application of third-generation exploration technologies, South Africa may prove to be the next diamond exploration frontier, says diamond explorer Botswana Diamonds MD James Campbell. →
Mining Resilience Research Centre launch to help sector survive Industrial Revolution 4.0
By: David Oliveira 26th May 2017 The University of Pretoria’s (UP’s) Department of Mining Engineering has launched its Mining Resilience Research Centre (MRRC) at the Hatfield, Pretoria, campus. The centre will take a multidisciplinary and holistic research approach to address the challenges facing the South African mining... →
Geologists, mineralogists exploring new Botswana licences
By: Simone Liedtke 26th May 2017 A second fieldwork programme at the six new prospecting licences (PLs) in Botswana awarded to the Sunland Minerals joint venture (JV), including initial sampling and geophysics, is planned for September 2017. →
Training academy deriving ‘incredible’ value from simulators
26th May 2017 Simulation has resulted in a definite, dramatic reduction in training cycle times, says Bedfordview-headquartered mining contractor Murray & Roberts’ Murray and Roberts Training Academy (MRTA) education and training development (ETD) executive Tony Pretorius. With five, high-fidelity Cybermine... →
Mineral scanner to facilitate identification of reactive ground
26th May 2017 In another step towards safer blasting practice, Johannesburg-headquartered explosives and services supplier BME is adapting its XRF Delta Pro mineral scanner to quickly identify reactive-ground conditions that could lead to blast site incidents. “This can give us real-time information that... →
New company aims to be ‘unrivalled’ service provider
26th May 2017 With a focus on safety and supporting its customers, the process of integrating diversified industrial-use products and services provider Komatsu and high-productivity mining solutions provider Joy Global has begun, following the conclusion of a $3.7-billion deal in April. On May 8, executive... →
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