The Briefing on Mining

The latest news, trends and data from the mining industry

In Data:

Mining in Numbers

483

The total number of mining projects across the world either currently in construction of slated to begin construction by 2020, with a total capex of $253bn. Out of this, projects currently in construction represent a total capex of $162bn, according to GlobalData.

£2bn

In August, UK bank Lloyds announced it will no longer fund new coal-fired power stations, instead committing £2bn to its Clean Growth Finance initiative, which is designed to encourage its banking clients, including mine operators, to invest in a lower-carbon future.

30%

The top 10 mining companies in Australia account for 30% of total capex in the APAC region.

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1 million

Illegal mining in Ghana directly employed around 1.1 million people and affected a total of 4.4 million in 2014.

200

A lack of safety and rescue measures at Pakistani mines has undermined safety in an industry that sees up to 200 mine workers killed every year.

Miners welcome gaming technology

Gaming technology brings 3D and virtual reality visualisation to the mining industry

Mining technology developer Maptek and augmented reality experts LlamaZOO have partnered to bring digital twinning and advanced 3D data visualisation to the mining industry. Maptek stakeholders within customer networks will be able to interact with their spatial data in high resolution 3D, in a format typically only seen with video games.

Users can explore an entire operation from source to facility, see hypothetical scenarios and real-time data, and create a range of presentation media including 360-degrees images and flight paths. The technology offers a virtually risk-free mode for decision-making.

Read the original article on the Maptek website

In the News

Top Projects Kicking Off this Month

Rio Tinto opens new diamond pipe at Diavik mine in Canada

Rio Tinto has opened a fourth diamond pipe at the subarctic Diavik diamond mine, located 300km north-east of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The company expects the new A21 open pit pipe to serve as a significant source of supply over the next four years to sustain production levels at the mine.

New Century begins tailings flotation and production at zinc mine

Australian base metal development company New Century Resources has started the tailings flotation activities required to produce rougher zinc concentrate at its mine in Queensland. The first production of concentrate from the project shows the initial proof-of-concept for large-scale slurry flotation of ore through its existing processing facilities.

Prospect granted lease for lithium mining project

Zimbabwe’s mining affairs board has given electric vehicles batter-lithium producer Prospect Resources a mining lease that amalgamates 57 mining claims belonging to its Arcadia lithium project, located 38km east of Harare. Since acquiring the project in 2016, Prospect has completed an aggressive drilling and evaluation programme that culminated in declaration of several mineral resource estimates.

Mining Chatter:

This Month's Top Comments

Gold Producers Table Wage Offer

“As employers, we cannot accede to all the demands tabled by the unions – they are unaffordable and will severely impact the sustainability of old and marginal mines.” Minerals Council South Africa head of employment relations Motsamai Motlhamme, on the decision to table a conditional wage offer from gold producers to unions in South Africa.

Source: The Citizen

Testing Space Mining on Mini-Moons

“Once we start finding mini-moons at a greater rate they will be perfect targets for satellite missions. We can launch short and therefore cheaper missions, using them as testbeds for larger space missions and providing an opportunity for the fledgling asteroid mining industry to test their technology.” Robert Jedicke, on the potential for space mining.

Source: Universe Today

Trump on the Benefits of Coal

“We love clean, beautiful West Virginia coal. We love it. And you know that’s indestructible stuff. In times of war, in times of conflict, you can blow up those windmills… You can blow up those pipelines… You can do a lot of things to those solar panels. But you know what you can’t hurt? Coal.” President Donald Trump, at a campaign rally in Charleston, West Virginia.

Source: New York Times

How Clean is the US’s Clean Power Plan?

“There is nothing clean or affordable about this rule. Coal plants emit more carbon pollution than all other sources. They’re often more expensive than natural gas, solar, or wind energy. And worst of all, they impose severe public health costs on us all.” WWF chief executive Carter Roberts, in response to the Trump administration’s revised clean power plan.

Source: Science Alert