WORLD PROSPECTS
Automated loading for Greens Creek
ecla’s Greens Creek is the first US underground
mine utilising automated loading technology
from Sandvik. The major step will enable
increased productivity, improved safety and better
cost control, while bringing digitalisation of the mining
process closer and increasing operational transparency.
Hecla’s Greens Creek silver mine in southeast
Alaska is one of the largest and lowest-cost primary
silver mines in the world. In 2016, Greens Creek
produced 9.25 Moz of silver, the highest silver
production since Hecla acquired 100% of the
operation in 2008.
The mine utilises the latest technology for
production, ensuring its competitiveness in ever-
chang ing business situations. Sandvik AutoMine ®
Lite is used in production areas to enhance safety,
accelerate underground efficiency and improve
production numbers.
“Greens Creek commissioned the AutoMine
system in January 2017,” said Keith Malone, VP and
General Manager of the Hecla Greens Creek mine.
“The start-up was flawless as Sandvik did a great job
commissioning and training our engineers and
miners to operate the AutoMine system. We have
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been able to increase mucking time by operating the
AutoMine loader between shifts when personnel
cannot be underground due to blasting activities. As
we add wireless communication into additional work
areas and a second or third remote loader is added to
the fleet, we expect further gains will be realised.”
The system is currently installed in two areas of the
mine where bulk longhole mining methods are used.
“However, with 90% of our production coming
from conventional drift and fill stopes, installing the
AutoMine system in these areas is key to overall
productivity gains,” Malone said. “We have just
received two additional safety gates from Sandvik
and are expanding our wireless infrastructure into
these conventional stoping and development areas in
order to maximise our productivity through
implementation of this technology.”
Hecla has a long term vision to increase the level of
automation in its mines. “This is truly a mutually
beneficial relationship between Sandvik and Hecla,
where both companies have put a plan together to
work further with automation solutions,” said Paul
Painter, Manager Account Management, Application
& Automation, US at Sandvik Mining and Rock
Technology. “Sandvik is the world’s leading provider
of mine automation technologies with more than 200
automation-compatible equipment units deployed
worldwide. A growing number of other mines globally
are showing interest in implementing Sandvik
AutoMine ® applications.”
The Hecla Greens Creek mine is located on
Admiralty Island approximately 18 miles southwest of
Juneau, Alaska. Opened in 1989, the mine produces
silver, zinc, lead and gold and is located within the
Admiralty Island National Monument. The entire
project is accessed by boat and served by 13 miles of
road, and consists of the mine, an ore concentrating
mill, a dry stacked tailings facility, a ship-loading
facility, camp facilities and a ferry dock.
www.mining.sandvik.com
Pulp chemistry monitoring
he new Pulp Chemistry Monitor (PCM ® ) from
Magotteaux is an instrument that measures
key pulp chemical parameters (pH, Eh,
dissolved oxygen, temperature and oxygen
demand) on-line and in real time. Data can be used
to improve the stability of the process and thereby
increase mineral recoveries. The data combined with
other measurements taken in a flotation plant can
be used to improve the control of reagent additions;
achieve better stability in the plant; and improve the
metallurgical performance.
“In its simplest form mining is about digging the
ore out of the ground and separating the minerals of
value from the waste to make money. And, the most
common separation process used to achieve this is
flotation. Now flotation is basically a chemical
process that relies on making the minerals you want
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to recover stick to bubbles and be recovered into a
concentrate. The efficiency of this separation
actually relies heavily on getting the chemistry right.
However, when operating a plant the chemistry is
often overlooked as it is difficult to measure and
interpret. To address this, Magotteaux worked with
Manta Controls to develop the Pulp Chemistry
Monitor (PCM ® ), which measures the pulp
chemistry of critical process streams in real time,
introducing a new level of process optimised for
improved metallurgical performance.”
PCM ® capabilities arise from a combination of a
fully integrated communication and high-level
control functions designed by Manta Controls
utilising the Rockwell Automation Integrated
Architecture platform, and classical metallurgical
know-how provided by Magotteaux.
FAMUR Kopex takeover finalised
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4 International Mining | JUNE 2017
between the FAMUR Group and Kopex will be
carried out this year. It will be officially
completed in the first quarter of 2018, but
important effects of the synergy should be
already visible at the beginning of 2018.”
The transaction involving the acquisition of
shares in Kopex by FAMUR opens a new chapter
in the history of Polish manufacturers of mining
machinery by replacing the existing competition
between domestic companies with an extensive
cooperation. “As a result of the planned
integration of key assets, the combined groups
will become the leader in the mining industry in
Poland, operating on a global scale and
competing with the largest world’s players in
terms of their offer, know-how and experience.”
After the completion of the purchase
transaction, the former Kopex Group will be
divided into the machinery as well as a trade
and service unit. The machinery unit of Kopex
will be taken over by FAMUR, which will entail
the issue of new shares in FAMUR SA to the
minority shareholders of Kopex SA in exchange
for the shares corresponding to the machinery
unit. As a result, the minority shareholders of
Kopex will hold approximately 3% of the
increased share capital of FAMUR SA and they
will remain the shareholders of the listed
company, which will continue to carry out its
trade and service activity under its new name.
“Over the past months we have prepared an
integration plan, taking into consideration all
business, operational and social aspects of the
n May 9, 2017, FAMUR SA submitted an
offer for the purchase of 65.8% of the
shares in Kopex SA to the TDJ. FAMUR
stated: “The acquisition of Kopex is a
breakthrough in the development of the FAMUR
Group. It is also a very important step in the
process related to the consolidation of
domestic manufacturers specialising in mining
machinery that the FAMUR Group started
several years ago.”
“The combined potential of FAMUR and
Kopex will make it possible to build a strong
Polish company that will be the leader in t he
region and a respected player at the
international level. The integration process
Manufactured in Adelaide, the PCM ® is exported
globally for integration into a range of mineral
processing facilities to aid productivity and increase
profitability. PCM ® also won the Minerals
Processing of the Year category at the recent
Australian Mining Prospect Awards. Celebrating the
best of mining in Australia, the annual Prospect
Awards recognise the achievements of individuals
and companies in the sector across a range of criteria
including Excellence in Mine Safety, Contribution to
Mining, and Australian Mine of the Year.
www.magotteaux.com