WORLD PROSPECTS
cycles). Our entire fleet of underground utility
vehicles are available with battery
technology.”
The company adds: “Our
BEVs use an on board and
off board charging system.
They are also equipped
with regenerative braking
technology and will
feature a battery
management system that is
able to monitor power supply, voltage,
temperature, current and more. Our new BEVs are a
‘true’ battery powertrain without the need for
mechanical components. The new battery
technology reduces wear on the machine and
greatly extends the amount of time
between routine service intervals.”
As mines go deeper underground
they face challenges such as the
heightened cost of cooling and
ventilation systems, and they are
also seeing a push to reduce
emissions and diesel particulates to
improve their employees’ health and
wellbeing. “Mines around the world are
turning to BEVs as a cost effective and
practical solution to rectify these problems and
are seeing a positive impact when it comes to their
employees’ health and their bottom line.”
As an example of new battery equipment,
Marcotte Mining’s new generation RAM40 is a
standardised front carrier that is able to
accommodate its entire fleet of underground utility
vehicles, integrating either low horsepower, high
horsepower, Tier 4 or the new Siemens battery
drive package. The new RAM40 “focuses on
operator safety, ease of maintenance and
standardisation. The RAM40 was designed with
better sightlines and increased visibility around the
machine, making it safer for the operator and
everyone working near the equipment. In addition,
all maintenance activities can be performed from
ground level, allowing easier maintenance and
daily checks. A standard carrier means common
parts allowing for better service and support, along
with quicker build times for new capital
orders.” www.marcottemining.com
Record underground DigiShot blast
yno Nobel, a global leader in commercial
explosives, was a part of a record-breaking
blast that took place on April 29, 2018, at
the Renard diamond mine in Québec, Canada,
operated and owned by Stornoway Diamond Corp.
An underground blast initiated by 1,461 DigiShot
Plus detonators facilitated the recovery of a large
volume of kimberlite. This is the largest
underground blast on record that has been
initiated with DigiShot Plus. DigiShot Plus is an
electronic initiation system developed by Dyno
Nobel and DetNet ® (a joint venture partner of Dyno
Nobel).
The Renard mine is located approximately 250
km north of Mistissini in the James Bay region. The
mine is a fly-in and fly-out operation, with
commercial trucking to and from cities for all
supplies needed to accommodate operations at
D
the mine. The blast was initiated from the surface
to ensure safety of mine employees. The use of
DigiShot Plus allowed the mine to maximise timing
accuracy and also tie in a large quantity of
detonators while maintaining testability of the
detonators. This continuous communication with
the detonator allows the user to verify there are no
missing detonators and each detonator will be
initiated.
The Renard mine called this stope shot a “Mass
Blast,” which was fitting for this large-scale blast.
A total of 265,000 projected tonnes and 208,000
kg of explosives were used to load this stope shot,
including the 1,461 DigiShot Plus detonators used
for initiation. The downholes had a diameter of 6½
in and the upholes had a dimeter of 4½ in, and all
hole depths varied from 25 m to 65 m.
The blast design was developed by the
engineering group at the Renard Mine and was
executed by the Dyno Nobel on-site
representatives. Josh Lachapelle, the electronic
initiation representative, used ViewShot ® , Dyno
Nobel’s blast pattern software, to input the timing
and tie in path for accuracy and potential
troubleshooting. At 17:38 (5:38 pm) the blast was
initiated remotely from surface consuming the
1,461 DigiShot Plus detonators.
www.dynonobel.com
Autonomous trucks come to US
arrick Gold Corp has begun testing surface
autonomous haulage technologies at its
South Arturo Joint Venture gold operation
in Nevada (Barrick 60%/Premier Gold Mines
40%), building on the use of autonomous and
semi-autonomous equipment at Barrick’s
underground operations such as Cortez.
South Arturo provides potential for open pit
production that could extend over an 8 to 9-year
period with underground mining opportunity as a
further upside. The ore from South Arturo will be
trucked primarily to Barrick’s Goldstrike mine for
processing. The focus for 2018 will be to
commence construction of the Phase 1 open pit
and El Nino underground deposit, which be
developed from the bottom of the Phase 2 pit. For
2018, operational guidance at the mine is 5,000
to 10,000 oz gold at a cash cost of $600-$650/oz
and all-in sustaining costs of $620-$670/oz.
Barrick and Premier have partnered with Utah-
based Autonomous Solutions Inc to retrofit an
existing fleet of five haul trucks with autonomous
kits. IM understands that the five trucks are
Komatsu 930E-2 models. ASI began installation of
the technology in earl