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Opencast Quarries News
Automation technology solution can help smaller mines
By: Cameron Mackay 3rd July 2020 Earthmoving technology supplier Caterpillar’s new cloud-based technology platform, MineStar Edge, can be used to manage production cost effectively, particularly on small surface mines. “Many smaller mines rely on people, often haul truck operators, to manually record production information on... →
Supplier saves mining industry time, money
By: Theresa Bhowan 19th June 2020 Power transmission products distributor Bearings International (BI) is supplying bearings manufacturer Dodge ISN bearings to the quarrying sector to address contamination – the leading cause of premature bearing failure in the industry. →
Miner works at lower capacity owing to demand, not legislation
By: Marleny Arnoldi 19th June 2020 Demand for premium-grade aggregate material is dwindling and so is production from quarrying operations, says building material company AfriSam. →
Mobile screening plant proves highly efficient
19th June 2020 Earthmoving equipment supplier HPE Africa’s McCloskey S250 screener – one of the largest tracked-mounted mobile vibratory screening plants available – has been designed for highly-efficient aggregate material screening. →
New compressors provide faster drilling, reduced fuel costs
19th June 2020 Compressor and generator supplier Rand-Air has acquired two Atlas Copco DrillAir Y1260 variable high pressure (21 bar to 35 bar) compressors. This new technology – from the world’s leading manufacturer of compressor and generator equipment – has been scientifically designed around pressure and... →
This year's Electra Mining cancelled
By: Donna Slater 29th May 2020 Organisers of Southern Africa’s mining, manufacturing, automation, electrical and power trade exhibition Electra Mining Africa, Specialised Exhibitions, reports that the 2020 edition of the trade fair has been cancelled as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. This year’s show had been scheduled to... →
Nondigital mines losing out on R213bn in value 
By: Donna Slater 28th May 2020 An updated version of a 2017 study conducted by professional services firm Accenture in collaboration with the World Economic Forum – the 'Extracting Value and Building Resilience with Data-led Mining in South Africa' report – highlights that, with a combination of seven digital initiatives,... →
Afrimat says all its mines will be at full operating capacity in June 
By: Marleny Arnoldi 21st May 2020 JSE-listed openpit miner Afrimat says it entered the Covid-19 lockdown with a strong balance sheet that will help it weather the uncertain and volatile business climate that is expected to prevail in the immediate future. The company points out that the partial reopening of the Demaneng... →
PEA estimates 'robust' economics for Deep-South's Namibia copper project
By: Donna Slater 21st May 2020 TSX-listed Deep-South Resources reports that, using a heap leach treatment operation, its openpit Haib copper project, in Namibia, demonstrates robust economics. An updated preliminary economic assessment (PEA), conducted by METS Engineering Group, considered an indicated mineral resource of... →
Miners learning lessons from global Covid-19 experiences
By: Simone Liedtke 12th May 2020 Information gathered from across the globe is paving the way for South Africa’s surface mines to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 disease in the workplace and mitigate its effects during and after the pandemic, Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of Southern Africa (Aspasa) says. With the... →
Aspasa advises on preparing stockpiles for rapid post-lockdown deliveries
By: Donna Slater 6th May 2020 Surface mining industry association Aspasa has advised its members to use the time between the reopening of surface mines and the delivery of products wisely, by preparing smart stockpiles, internal roadway systems and traffic separation measures to deal quickly and safely with a pickup in demand... →
Miner implements enterprise, supplier development
By: Halima Frost 1st May 2020 Ranked as one of the top five coal miners in South Africa, diversified miner Exxaro Resources has sought to implement leading practices in enterprise and supplier development across the company’s core functional areas. Exxaro currently supplies local and domestic markets with thermal,... →
Autonomous rig to boost safety, efficacy
By: Halima Frost 1st May 2020 Drilling and blasting contractor Blasting & Excavating (B&E) intends to add the REL C650 series of autonomous drill rigs to its portfolio to offer a higher level of safety and efficacy to the opencast operations it services. The first rig is being manufactured in India and will be handed over to... →
Zero harm difficult to attain – Aspasa
By: Halima Frost 1st May 2020 Surface mining association Aspasa director Nico Pienaar tells Mining Weekly that the surface mining industry currently faces many challenges that need to be addressed so that mines can achieve the ultimate goal of zero harm. These include illegal mining not being adequately addressed by the... →
Proper wash-bays prove beneficial
By: Halima Frost 1st May 2020 Investing in a ‘proper’ wash-bay water cannon can save money and time on vehicle upkeep and maintenance for an opencast operation, says fire protection supplier DoseTech MD Mike Feldon. He notes that operations often uses standard fire protection ‘monitors’ or water cannons, which are not fit for... →
Adviser streamlines mine processes
By: Halima Frost 30th April 2020 Specialist mining advisory company Ukwazi Mining Solutions was selected to assist a major mining client with the streamlining and automation of its planning process for a sizeable Southern Africa openpit coal operation last year. “The client had many challenges ranging from inconsistent data... →
Opencast mines may return to 100% of capacity from May 1 – Patel
By: Martin Creamer 27th April 2020 Opencast mines are permitted to return in phases to 100% operation from May 1 but underground mines must continue at 50% of production capacity, Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel said on Saturday. Speaking during a media briefing covered by Mining Weekly on South Africa’s easing from the... →
Post-Covid delivery of crane for colliery’s dragline excavator
By: Martin Creamer 22nd April 2020 A contract won by Witbank company GTB Industrial Services will see Condra manufacturing a technically complex crane to service an Mpumalanga colliery’s dragline excavator. Condra will deliver the dragline maintenance crane during the month following the easing of Covid-19 quarantine restrictions. →
Mining may resume at 50% capacity – Minister
By: Martin Creamer 16th April 2020 All mining operations, excluding collieries supplying Eskom which have been permitted to operate at full capacity throughout national lockdown, may now resume at 50% capacity during the remaining lockdown days, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said on Thursday. Thereafter,... →
Mineral Resources Minister Gwede Matashe during virtual media conference.
Satellite imaging helps monitoring of remote mining operations
By: Donna Slater 9th April 2020 Satellite imaging of remote mining operations can be used to track and visually represent surface changes, ranging from the areal extent of surface operations, surface water, surface disturbances and the addition or removal of surface infrastructure – a vital component of mining management amid... →
Moves afoot to 'futureproof' South Africa's drones regulations
By: Donna Slater 20th March 2020 Regulations governing drones, officially referred to as remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), have been stagnant since July 2015, when the South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) first introduced regulations to formalise the industry. →
Pilot Crushtec launches compact mobile crushing, screening equipment from Metso
By: Schalk Burger 6th March 2020 Mining and quarrying equipment specialist Pilot Crushtec launched a new range from mining equipment manufacturer Metso’s mobile and compact crushing and screening equipment last month that is well suited to local economic conditions. Pilot Crushtec CEO Sandro Scherf says that contracts have been... →
Monitoring system’s African launch imminent
By: Halima Frost 6th March 2020 Monitoring solutions provider MineWare this month announced the launch of its Argus wheel loader monitoring system in Australia and the US, with a global roll-out to follow this year to meet industry demand. “The omnipresent wheel loader plays an important role in heavy minerals mining and its... →
Cobalt demand drives illegal trade
By: Halima Frost 7th February 2020 Increased global demand for cobalt is spurring mining activity in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), specifically illegal and artisanal operations. The southern point of the DRC is reported to contain about two-thirds of the world’s natural cobalt reserves. →
Khoemacau begins decline development
By: Darren Parker 24th January 2020 Development work is well under way at the Khoemacau copper and silver project in Botswana, with mining contractor Barminco beginning decline development for the new underground mine in Zone 5 this month. Early construction activities started in early 2019, with mine construction, development and... →
Firm invests hopes in Indaba
By: Darren Parker 24th January 2020 Mining investment firm Menar MD Vuslat Bayoğlu hopes that this year’s Investing in African Mining Indaba will “rise to the occasion” in addressing the challenges that are plaguing the South African mining industry. Some pressing challenges include the need to deal with regulatory uncertainty and... →
Anglo’s polyhalite entry likely to hit MoP more than SoP – Danakali
By: Martin Creamer 21st January 2020 The proposed entry of Anglo American into the fertiliser industry is more likely to impact the muriate of potash (MoP) market than the sulphur of potash (SoP) market, says Danakali CEO Niels Wage. MoP production is relatively concentrated with single-channel CanPotex group of companies in Canada... →
Automated tech implemented at iron-ore project
6th December 2019 The trial of the Smart Mine technology project at iron-ore mining company Sokolov-Sarbai Mining Production Association’s (SSGPO’s) Kacharsky opencast site has been successful. SSGPO, a subsidiary of international metals and mining conglomerate Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), says that it plans to... →
Imminent trade war truce positive for iron-ore
By: Darren Parker 6th December 2019 Economic research institute Afriforesight expects the US and China to reach a trade war “truce” near the end of the year, providing some support for iron-ore. This anticipated resolution of the trade war is expected to have a positive effect on economic activity in general, including for steel... →
Nearing zero fatality milestone
By: Darren Parker 6th December 2019 Coal and iron-ore miner Exxaro Resources is making a final push to achieve its goal of being fatality free for three consecutive years. To better ensure that milestones like this can be reached, the mining company launched its Khetha Ukuphepha – Zulu for Choose Safety – campaign at its conneXXion... →
Opportunities abound in uncertain iron-ore market
By: Darren Parker 6th December 2019 Where some might see cause for concern, mining services provider Ukwazi business development director Spencer Eckstein believes that the uncertain future of iron-ore demand and pricing could mean opportunity. Some of this uncertainty is exemplified by the announcement last month of the proposed... →
BALLS OF STEEL Pelletised iron is made from waste dust and can be used in the manufacture of steel
Imminent surge in demand for PDS anticipated
By: Darren Parker 29th November 2019 Mine safety equipment supplier Booyco Electronics CEO Anton Lourens is anticipating a surge in demand for proximity detection systems (PDS) next year. In 2017, the Department of Mineral Resources, as it was known then, issued a 2020 deadline for mining companies to implement stipulations laid out... →
Mechanised equipment supplier wins award
By: Darren Parker 1st November 2019 Coal cutting machinery and gearbox supplier Eickhoff South Africa was recognised for operational excellence as a supplier of mechanised equipment at the inaugural Exxaro Supplier Excellence Awards, held in Johannesburg, last month. The other two finalists nominated in this category were... →
Canyon implements carbon tax mitigation measures
By: Mc'Kyla Nortje 25th October 2019 The South African government has put pressure on industries to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through the Carbon Tax Act, which came into effect in June. The Act provides for the imposition of a tax on the carbon dioxide equivalent of greenhouse-gas emissions, and addresses matters connected... →
Crusher manufacturers focused on improving longevity
By: Tracy Hancock 4th October 2019 Technological advances in the crushing industry are few, with some machines based on old technology that has been used for decades, says surface mining association Aspasa director Nico Pienaar. “Crushers remain basic,” he says, noting that the industry is in the Second Industrial Revolution and... →
Earthmoving supplier launches new excavator series
27th September 2019 Earth-moving and construction equipment supplier High Power Equipment (HPE) Africa has launched two new series of excavators from automotive manufacturer Hyundai, namely the R480LC-9S range and R330LC-9S machines. Both series are designed for high performance in tough conditions in various... →
Energy-saving VSDs ideal for mining conveyors
By: Cameron Mackay 27th September 2019 The two new variable-speed drive (VSD) product offerings from bearings and power transmission products distributor Bearings International (BI) – to be launched in the third quarter of this year – are ideally suited to applications in the mining industry. The AlphaDrive-Micro VSD and the... →
Excavator series well received by local mining sector
27th September 2019 Construction and mining equipment manufacturer Doosan’s DX800LC-5B tracked excavator series, which was launched early last year, has received a positive market response from the local mining industry. Doosan is part of the Capital Equipment Group (CEG) division of investment holding and... →
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