REMOTE SITES
In Arctic Canada , where mines are served by Nuna Logistics among other specialist solution providers , there is a limited window of time – roughly two months for the ice road and roughly three months for sea freight in order to get all the supplies in
roughly three months for sea freight in order to get all the supplies in . Fuel as an example or explosives won ’ t be mobilised in any other way so the quantities must be accurate , and having to fly freight due to a miscalculation becomes very expensive .
Pearson states on Nuna : “ We are a construction company that understands the logistics challenges in the north . Detailed planning for each project is the key to successful execution . Understanding the construction methodologies that will optimise the ice road capacity and hauling season has been a key benefit to our clients . We also mobilise critical spares to ensure that we have the equipment capacity necessary to ensure continuous mechanical availability of our equipment for our projects . Our clients expect suppliers with safe performance records who understand Northern construction challenges and can maximise local training and employment while executing projects on a cost competitive basis .”
Nuna has executed several projects for clients where it was starting with no established infrastructure as one of the primary challenges . “ The basics need to be established prior to the execution of the project itself . For example , establishing accommodations and fuel storage are among the first steps required in order to get set up for the project execution . Some examples of specific scopes include mobilising on a sea lift , building a road to an ore deposit , mining and crushing a sample of the ore and hauling it all down the road in time for the sea lift the following year . We have several other examples of large earthworks projects . In all cases the challenges were overcome through successful planning and experience .”
In addition , Nuna Logistics also has other core businesses for mining , namely earthworks , which includes all weather roads , runways , contract mining , remediation , dams etc . “ The logistics element comes from the detailed planning , mobilisation , and execution of these projects as a result of their remote location and general lack of infrastructure .”
Specialised logistics can even involve mining vessels . ALE has performed the unique installation of a new ball mill on the Mafuta diamond mining vessel , the largest diamond vessel in the world , for De Beers in South Africa . The mining vessel is being upgraded and a new ball mill , weighing 80 t , needed to be installed from the quayside in to the vessel .
ALE installed the ball mill by using a crane to lift it onto skid beams , where it was skidded into position in the vessel . ALE then jacked the ball mill to make sufficient clearance to remove the skidding beams from underneath the ball mill . The ball mill was then lowered into the final position .
Zayno Myburgh , Project Manager for ALE in South Africa , commented : “ This was a really interesting project to be involved with . It was the dimensional constraints that comes with working on a diamond mining vessel which made this project particularly unique and challenging .”
The client wanted to reduce the time spent in the dry dock and as a result removed as little as possible structural works for the installation of the mill . “ Subsequently , we devised a solution so that the ball mill could be lowered into the vessel at a steep angle and then gently corrected as it cleared overhead obstructions . We managed to complete the installation in a bespoke and safe way , ensuring that we met our client ’ s schedule .” ALE completed the overall project , including installation and execution , in seven days . For more on marine mining solutions , see this month ’ s Marine Mining article .
Aviation services for remote mines
Aviation services for FIFO sites is a big industry and involves both large and mid-sized players depending on the nature of the site and of the
In July 2016 , Cobham announced that its Regional Services business has been awarded a 12 month contract by gold mining company , Doray Minerals Ltd to provide fly-in , fly-out ( FIFO ) services to its Andy Well Gold Project mining site in Western Australia
148 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2016