Global projects and exploration
To prevent soiling of the sensitive environment, the buckets have been fitted with lids. Any loss of material along the track can thus be prevented. In the unloading station, the lids are opened automatically via a special mechanism and the buckets are turned upside down so that the material will fall onto a chute. Then the buckets are tilted back to their normal position.
Operation of the ropeway is fully automatic. Operating costs can thus be optimised. There are also hardly any moving parts along the track. All material buckets and cabins travel through the stations regularly and can be easily inspected and maintained there.
To cover the entire distance and the enormous difference in elevation of 1 500m, the ropeway requires only 11 towers. The footprint on the ground can thus be minimised, and because the system is elevated off the ground, it does not represent an insurmountable obstacle for man or wildlife.
The ropeway took up operation in December2017 and has since been transporting 60 tons of copper ore per hour into the valley.
Indonesia Further intersections at BKZ
Asiamet Resources has identified further high-grade massive sulphide or vein-style polymetallic mineralisation and coppersilver mineralisation at the BKZ project in Indonesia, with both systems remaining open in several directions. According to the company, new assays confirm further highgrade copper-silver mineralisation within the interpreted feeder structure at BKZ, with up to 2.7 % copper over 1m sample intervals. Assay results from three holes drilled at the northern area of BKZ confirm further
high-grade polymetallic mineralisation, with up to 25.5 % zinc, 10 % lead, 188 grams per tonne( g / t) silver, and 2.8 g / t gold over 1m sample intervals. The company has completed the first round of infill drilling at BKZ, for a total 3 416m in 36 holes. Drilling has successfully tested the upper zone of polymetallic massive sulphide and vein-style mineralisation and the lower zone of vein and massive sulphide-hosted copper-silver mineralisation.
Australia Record output continues
Anglo American’ s Metallurgical Coal business has continued its operational turnaround, guided by record production at three underground mines in Queensland.
The Moranbah, Grosvenor, and Grasstree mines all achieved record output in 2017 for Anglo. The strong performance lifted its Metallurgical Coal business to a doubling of underlying profit to USD1.977-billion.
Anglo said the result reflected the productivity and cost improvements that the Metallurgical Coal business had embedded at each of the mines over the past four to five years.
The company also realised a 65 % increase in the metallurgical coal price in 2017, as the business produced a greater proportion of high-margin hard coking coal.
Anglo Metallurgical Coal chief executive David Diamond says the strong contribution of the business to the company’ s overall result followed a challenging period.
“ We made some challenging decisions in 2016, resulting in the divestment of Foxleigh, Callide, and Dartbrook mines in Australia and commencing a process to divest the Drayton Mine,” says Diamond.
Mongolia Rio Tinto commits to power solution Diversified mining company Rio Tinto continues working with its partners to develop a domestic power supply to its Oyu Tolgoi gold and copper project in Mongolia. This follows the Government of Mongolia’ s cancellation of the Southern Region Power Sector Cooperation Agreement( PSCA).
The decision to terminate the PSCA indicates that the Mongolian government no longer views the Tavan Tolgoi Power Project( TTPP) as a viable option for Oyu Tolgoi. As a result, Oyu Tolgoi is now obliged to deliver a domestic power source for the operation within four years.
Although Rio Tinto continues to review its capital expenditure( capex) forecasts for the project, it has already earmarked USD250-million a year for the development of a power station in Mongolia in its 2019 and 2020 capex forecasts.
The PSCA laid out a framework for cooperation between the Government of Mongolia and Oyu Tolgoi to deliver a comprehensive energy plan for the South Gobi region. The Government of Mongolia ' s primary intention is to develop a new independent power plant at the Tavan Tolgoi coalfields with Oyu Tolgoi as off-taker rather than owner.
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