GLOBAL NEWS
WesTrac will also play a key role in implementing technology
solutions and will work to leverage its autonomous
technology training facility being constructed in Collie,
Western Australia.
Cat autonomous trucks have proven reliability and durability in
the autonomous system, which creates higher truck utilisation
and increased production rates. There are now 275 mining
trucks operating autonomously via MineStar Command for
hauling, and those trucks have moved more than 1.9 billion
tonnes since 2013.
AUSTRALIA:
THE WEST TOPS THE CHARTS
Western Australia has become the top mining jurisdiction for
investment in Australia, according to Fraser Institute’s annual
survey of mining company rankings.
The state leads the way for the first time since 2015 after being
rated the second-most attractive jurisdiction in the world by the
Canadian think-tank last year.
Western Australia’s standing comes after Australia reported a
record AUD290-billion in resource exports in 2019, according to
recent trade data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Western Australia had a record number of workers employed
in its minerals sector in 2018-19 (124,010), according to the
Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
A total of 76 jurisdictions across the globe were assessed, with
South Australia one of the big movers in 2020, climbing from
24th last year, to sixth.
“The mining survey is the most comprehensive report on
government policies that either attract or discourage mining
investors,” says Fraser Institute senior policy analyst Ashley
Stedman.
“A sound regulatory regime coupled with competitive taxes are
key to making a jurisdiction attractive to investors.” Meanwhile,
Queensland (15th) has lost its previous spot to the Northern
Territory (13th), which has entered the top 20 this year. Tasmania
(22nd) and Victoria (43rd) sit outside the top 20 – but have
jumped significantly from their previous rankings. However,
New South Wales (47th) has dropped down from 42nd place in
the last survey.
Despite Western Australia topping the charts for mining
jurisdictions, the country as a whole saw declines across
the board for policy production index scores. “The Policy
Perception Index, or PPI provides a comprehensive assessment
of the attractiveness of mining policies in a jurisdiction, and
can serve as a report card to governments on how attractive
their policies are from the point of view of an exploration
manager,” the report read.
Western Australia is also the only state in the top 10 on the
survey’s policy production index (PPI), ranked at fifth place
overall. Meanwhile, Tasmania saw a decrease of 10.8 points since
the previous report due to miner concern about regulation
enforcement and administration.
INDONESIA :
GRINDING IT OUT AT MARTABE
Indonesian gold and silver producer PT Agincourt Resources (PTAR) has chosen Metso’s energy-efficient grinding technology to
be used at the company’s Martabe gold mine in Sumatra. The Metso Vertimill VTM-4500 stirred mill is the largest of its kind to be
installed in Indonesia. The order has been booked in Metso’s orders received in Q1, 2020, and is expected to be commissioned by
July 2021.
According to PTAR, Metso Vertimill provides the lowest total cost of ownership compared to other grinding mills in many
applications thanks to its high-energy efficiency, reduced media consumption, low installation cost as well as minimal liner wear
and maintenance. It is capable of handling feed sizes up to 6mm and grinding to products less than 20 microns and it is available
in standard mill sizes ranging from 15HP (11kW) to 4500HP (3352 kW).
www. africanmining.co.za
African Mining Publication
African Mining
African Mining April 2020
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