Nordgold ramps up processing capacity at Taborny mine in Russia

Gold producer Nordgold has successfully increased the processing capacity of its Taborny mine in the South West of the Sakha (Yakutia) Republic in Russia.

The company has increased the processing capacity from 1,000,000 to 7,500,000 tonnes per year (tpa) of ore.

Nordgold installed a two-line Metso crusher as well as a telescopic conveyor as part of its capacity expansion initiative at the mine.

A pumping station was also built at the heap leaching site of the mine. This station consists of four Sulzer pumps, each having a capacity of 400 cubic metres per hour (m3/h).

Acquired by Nordgold in 2007, the Taborny gold mine is about 200km from the town of Chara and 125km northeast of the Ikabya station of the Baikal-Amur railway.

Rio Tinto Juukan Gorge inquiry publishes recommendations

The inquiry into the destruction of Indigenous heritage sites at Juukan Gorge by multinational mining company Rio Tinto has published its interim report, lambasting the company’s “inexcusable” behaviour in destroying the 46,000-year-old caves.

The report, titled Never Again, highlights a disparity in power between Indigenous peoples and private industry in the protection of Indigenous heritage and underscores the considerable failings of legislation designed to protect Indigenous heritage.

The report makes seven recommendations focusing on improving the relations between industry and indigenous communities and improving the legislation designed to protect indigenous heritage.

Gold miners need to ramp up renewable electricity to achieve climate goals

The World Gold Council (WGC) has said that gold mining companies may need to switch to renewable electricity generation to curb emissions sufficiently to align with the Paris Agreement’s global warming target of below 2ºC.

In its report, 'Gold and climate change: The energy transition', the WGC has examined in detail the opportunities for gold mining to decarbonise its power sources.

With these opportunities, the sector may be able to reduce its emissions at a scale and speed sufficient to achieve climate goals.

The new report, which builds on WGC’s initial work over 2018 and 2019, looks at gold mining’s energy transition and climate impacts over the next ten years.

Investors and industry stakeholders will get clarity around gold’s greenhouse gas emissions profile and its potential pathway to net-zero.

The report recognises the action required over the next decade to make net-zero carbon targets feasible and evaluates the impacts of reducing gold mining’s power emissions by 2030.

Metso Outotec announces restructure of Metals business

Technology provider Metso Outotec has announced plans to reorganise its Metals business with an aim to create an operational model for Metals capital and services.

The latest move, which is part of the company’s previously announced turnaround programme, targets the creation of an operational model for the services that suits the scale and nature of the existing business.

Furthermore, it meets the specific demands of the customer base in the Metals refining segment.

Metso Outotec Metals business area president Jari Ålgars said: “The restructuring and turnaround programme aims to improve Metals’ competitiveness and financial performance as well as ensure more granular management of the various businesses and resources.

“The restructuring will enable us to size and scope our offering and resources in a more efficient way.”

The restructuring programme involves about 1,100 employees working with the Metals capital and service business across the globe.

As per the company’s plans, it is estimated to lead to a maximum of 160 redundancies in the Metals operations worldwide. This corresponds to targeted savings of €15m.

Caterpillar, Guardhat partner on surface mining safety solutions

US equipment and machinery maker Caterpillar has partnered with Guardhat to provide safety solutions to surface mining operations via Cat dealers.

The two firms are in the process of developing a new system called Cat Connected Worker. This system will use wearable technology to provide increased protection for mine workers.

It will also deliver event-based monitoring as well as mapping to enhance the mining environment.

Cat MineStar Solutions marketing manager Bill Dears said: “Leveraging Guardhat technology, proven in challenging industrial settings, will speed up development of a comprehensive, digital solution sought by mining customers.

“As a component of Cat MineStar Detect safety capabilities, Connected Worker will provide insight that will enable managers to create safer operations—and to respond quickly if an incident does occur.

Once completed, Cat Connected Worker will provide ‘precise location of all workers to the mine monitoring system’, thereby, allowing individual, team and site communication.

Data will facilitate decision making and enable monitoring workforce to understand the kind of ‘environment workers are facing in near real time’.

Coal mine accident in China’s Chongqing city leaves at least 23 dead

At least 23 workers in southwest China have been killed after being trapped underground in a coal mine in the city of Chongqing.

The latest incident is the region’s second such accident in just two months, reported China’s official news agency Xinhua.

The miners were among the total 24 people who have been exposed to unsafe levels of carbon monoxide at the Diaoshuidong coal mine.

Diaoshuidong is a high-gas mine with a capacity of 120,000tpa of coal.

According to the news agency, one survivor had been rescued, after more than a day’s efforts of search and rescue operation.

The incident happened on 4 December. It happened at around 5pm in the mine, which has been shut for over two months as the company dismantled underground equipment at the site.

Currently, the incident is being investigated.

According to a statement published on Ministry of Emergency Management website on 6 December, China ordered local officials to “resolutely take decisive measures to effectively stop major accidents in coal mines from happening".