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Data is a mining company's
greatest asset
Mark O'Brien, Manager of Digital Transformation at CITIC
Pacific Mining Management, believes that the mining
industry is starting to turn a corner when it comes to
making the most of data and automation
efore hearing from O’Brien at Mines and
Technology London, taking place on
November 25-27, Andrew Thake, Head of
Content, Mines and Money, sat down with him to
dig deeper into his attitudes around technology
and automation in the mining industry.
What is your outlook for the mining sector in
the next 12 months?
In the Australian space, there’s been a
noticeable uptick in the mining sector, and
although everyone is still very conscious of
costs and not getting too crazy with spending
up, there’s a lot of investment going on and
we’re already seeing the usual cyclical issues
with finding good talent becoming an issue in
mining-focused cities like Perth.
You are speaking at Mines and Technology. In
terms of innovation in mining technology, where
does the biggest opportunity lie and why?
It finally feels like mining companies have
realised that data really is one of their greatest
assets, and many companies are starting to see
some serious value out of exploiting the data
they’ve been sitting on for years. Analytics, the
application of data science and AI are all
starting to show some huge potential to
provide insights and support critical decision-
making in ways that have not been possible to
date. Some of this stuff will turn out to be
‘shiny object’ stuff, but there’s definitely some
very pragmatic initiatives out there that are
showing very real benefits.
I also think that a lot of mining companies
have realised that taking technology seriously
can enable some significant reshaping of the
way they do business through greater
automation, more integration of data and
insights across their supply chain, and being
able to operate leaner and more cost-effectively
with real-time operational data at their finger-
tips.
In terms of innovation in mining technology
what is the major challenge facing the industry
right now and why?
Obviously, some of the classic obstacles to
innovation relate to mindset and culture, but I
think we’re seeing change on that front. And, of
course, truly innovative companies require
strong and capable leadership, and that’s just
not as prevalent as you’d like.
I’m not so concerned about lack of funding
B
because in many ways I’m a firm believer that
scarcity and constraint fuel innovation and
creativity. One of the areas that I think is
needing greater focus is in the area of
interoperability because this will drive
innovation by diminishing the dominance of
proprietary solutions and open up the playing
field for others to enter and compete. We’ve had
to accept what certain vendors have dished up,
but I think that’s now changing and mining
customers are starting to work together to get
better outcomes for the industry as a whole.
What are the cultural challenges of introducing
technological change in a mining company?
How do you win ‘hearts and minds?’
It’s not rocket science. It all comes back to
taking the time to build relationships, trust and
credibility through meeting expectations and
getting things done. In our context, nobody
enjoys what we call ‘Projects from Perth’ and
we’ve found it hugely beneficial on lots of
fronts to spend a lot of time at site meeting
with our operational users in their context,
really getting to understand their jobs and their
challenges, and then trying to solve real
problems in a collaborative way. You just can’t
do this stuff remotely. It takes time and
commitment, and sometimes having to forge
your way through legacy perceptions of IT or
technology being a waste of time or
‘irrelevant’.
How is your company responding to events
such as Brumadinho and the need to rethink
tailings and water management solutions?
I think most companies have revisited their
tailings strategies and facilities to double-check
and ensure that the risks have been properly
understood and mitigated. In Australia, we’re
fairly fortunately that many of our mines are in
very remote locations where the threat to
human life is not the main issue, but certainly
the damage to the environment and impact on
reputation and social licence to operate weighs
heavily on mining companies following the
tragic Brazilian catastrophes.
What is the biggest bottom-line benefit that
innovating in technology has bought to your
company?
It’s pretty hard to pick out any one item! We’ve
seen great outcomes in everything from IOT
experiments to fleet management systems,
private LTE communications, and a host of
initiatives large and small. Our technology
group is one that operates in a fairly lean way,
and we’ve proudly been able to kick some
excellent goals with the business, largely by
solving the right problems!
Can you tell us a little bit about what you will
be speaking at Mines and Technology London?
One of the big themes that we’ve grappled with
directly in our own business has been the
interaction between IT and OT and, over the
past few years, I’ve developed some thoughts
around some ideas that I think need to be
embraced by the mining sector if we’re to get
the very best bang for buck out of our
technology spend. It started out as a bit of a
cheeky poke at IT, but turned out to strongly
resonate with others I’ve shared this with. Is it
time to kill IT?
What is your rationale for attending Mines and
Technology London?
I’m always keen to meet new people in the
mining industry, especially those who are
operating and leading in very different contexts
to my own. I’ve actually never attended a
mining conference in the UK, so I’m very keen
to see who will be there, what the hot issues
are, and have some interesting conversations
along the way. I always try to pay attention,
learn a little, and take home something to apply
in my own patch. And, in general terms, anything
which combines mining and technology is
immediately attractive to me, so I’m looking
forward to the experience and the program.
Mark O'Brien, Manager – Digital
Transformation, CITIC Pacific Mining
Management - Sino Iron Project, will be delivering
a presentation at Mines and Technology
London, taking place in London, November 25-
27, 2019, titled: ‘Is it Time to Kill IT?’
https://london.minesandtechnology.com/
NOVEMBER 2019 | International Mining