September 2008

The MININGThe MININGSupporting mining and industry in Supporting mining and industry in

northern Australianorthern Australia

September 2008 $2.75 inc GST where sold Monthly

ISSN 1833-3125

PROVIDING THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIMETownsville 07 4775 5060

Darwin 08 8947 7112www.extraman.com.au

Indigenous workers Indigenous workers saddle up for Centurysaddle up for Century

THIS MONTH

• Tennant Creek’s golden era

• Sending Aussie sand to Russia

• Rock-bolting legends

• Short break in far north Queensland

Mines safety conference

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1The Mining Advocate | September 2008 NEWS

The MININGThe MINING

All material is copyright and cannot be reproduced in part or in full by any means without written permission of the managing editor. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher.

CONTACTS

p. (07) 4755 0336 f. (07) 4755 0338

Email: ...........................................................info@industryadvocate.com.au

Address: ..................................2/20 Keane Street, Garbutt, Q, 4812

Postal: ...................................................... PO Box 945, Townsville, Q, 4810

2 Doing the bolt Semi-retired senior engineer Wally Mills recently enlightened attendees at an Engineers Australia Townsville

local group meeting about the pioneering work of engineers on the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme

who developed rock bolting into a scientifi c exercise.

Mr Mills said a small team took the guesswork out of this crucial technique used in underground mines and

even managed to impress the Duke of Edinburgh with some innovative research.

3 Roping them in (COVER STORY)

Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company is having great success in training indigenous youth at its

cattle station.Th e company, now majority owned by traditional owners, was set up with the assistance of OZ

Minerals Century Mine, which is now set to benefi t from a pool of job-ready employees.

Century Mine general manager John Lamb told a recent Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company

open day that all successful trainees would have the opportunity to work at the mine if they wished.

6 Heart of gold A common-user bulk mineral distribution facility looks likely to be built in Tennant Creek to support the

region’s boom in exploration and burgeoning importance in the Northern Territory’s mineral production.

However, the proposed new facility also conjures up ghosts of Tennant Creek’s past as a major goldfi eld.

Th e early and mid 20th century had its own shared facilities in the form of government gold batteries and one

remains today as a testament to this history.

Th e Mining Advocate also found on a recent trip to the town that its response decades ago to a shortage of

women could provide a lesson or two to Mount Isa, which some say is experiencing a similar problem.

9 Aussie expertise Townsville-based company Project Delivery Managers (PDM) recently completed work for the

multibillion-dollar Sakhalin II energy project in Russia, which called for PDM to manage the winning and

refi ning of special fi ne-grained sand from the Burdekin River and see it sent promptly to Sakhalin Island in

the northern Pacifi c Ocean.

Director Andrew Franzmann believes Aussies are well equipped to tackle challenging engineering jobs

and there is no reason why northern Australian companies should not be chasing similar niche projects

overseas.

20 Blowing off workChucking a sickie or two is a great temptation when experiencing the lush relaxation of far north Queensland,

as Th e Mining Advocate discovered recently.

September 2008

FEATURES11 People

12 Industry UpdateA comprehensive wrap of exploration and operations in North Queensland and the Northern Territory.

16 Between Shifts

20 Lifestyle

22 Rec ‘n Tech

23 Bigger, Tougher, Better

24 Mining Safety Conference

Managing editor: .........................Robert Dark m. 0417 623 156

Journalist: ....................................Michael Stevens m. 0432 279 684

Sales manager: .......................Michele Adams m. 0419 719 519

Advertising Booking deadlineOctober edition: September 30

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2 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateNEWS

A senior workplace health and safety consultant has advised the mining industry to familiarise itself with working at heights legislation.

Dennis Gaskell spoke at a recent Commerce Queensland workplace health and safety club meeting in Townsville.

He said many supervisors and workers outside of the construction industry were unaware of their responsibilities under the Workplace Health and Safety Regulation, which contains

the requirements for working at heights in the state.

“Even though it (the regulation) mentions construction workers, the law expects other workers to exercise proper diligence by at least exercising those regulations,” Mr Gaskell said.

As well as promoting legislative awareness, Mr Gaskell dispelled a common myth surrounding work at heights.

“You don’t have to fall far to be seriously injured, it’s just

a matter of what body part hits what on the way down,” he said.

Mr Gaskell said proper edge protection, which could withstand the weight of heavy employees, was the best safety system for working at heights, with travel restraint as the next priority.

He said fall arrest systems should only be used where these priorities could not be deployed, but far too often he saw them used as a fi rst option.

Semi-retired senior engineer Wally Mills has paid tribute to a team of engineers based in the New South Wales town of Cooma during the 1950s for turning rock bolting into an engineering science.

Mr Mills spoke at a recent Engineers Australia Townsville local group presentation.

He said that although rock bolts were fi rst used in hard rock tunnelling in Sweden in 1939, rock bolt development work proper occurred during the building of the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme, which required deep tunnels underground.

Engineers working on the scheme established that rock bolting should be done in specifi c patterns according to rock structure, Mr Mills said.

In 1956 a 40-tonne block fell from the roof of a tunnel constructed during the scheme.

No one was injured but the material had rock bolts in it, sparking urgent action from a research and development team.

George Worotnicki worked 34 hours straight to complete an analysis of the incident.

He also produced photo-elastic studies and mathematical analyses of rock stresses.

His work helped to show that spacing and bolt length interacted and solutions could be found for optimal compression.

But Mr Mills said it was the famous model of David Lafeber that had the greatest psychological infl uence on sceptics. Dr Lafeber created the famous upturned bucket model, where a bucket was fi lled with fi ne crushed rock and 40 model rock bolts held the load in place.

Mr Mills described the occasion when the Duke of Edinburgh encountered the model when visiting Cooma’s engineering geology lab in 1956 during his visit to Australia for the Olympics.

Th e Duke was reportedly in a bad mood and appeared disinterested when engineering geologist Dan Moye explained the model.

Engineers on the Snowy Mountains scheme

are credited with having taken the guesswork

out of rock bolting, writes Michael Stevens.

A technical turning point

Wake-up call on height safety

In order to prove that it was the rock bolting pattern that kept the bucket load in place, Mr Moye loosened the nut on one bolt and the load fell to the fl oor. Apparently, the Duke was fascinated.

Mr Mills said rock bolts had continued to be refi ned since the Snowy Mountains project and used in more economical ways, but some used today still resembled those developed by the Cooma engineers. The rock bolt bucket test as seen by the Duke in 1956.

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OZ Minerals Century Mine is

set to take advantage of a ready

pool of indigenous workers

trained on a nearby cattle

station.

Th e Lawn Hill Riversleigh

Pastoral Holding Company,

which is 51 per cent owned by

the local Waanyi people and 49

per cent by OZ Minerals, runs

a commercial cattle station near

Century Mine and takes on

indigenous trainees at its stock

camp to equip them with life

and job skills.

Century Mine general

manager John Lamb announced

at a recent Lawn Hill

Riversleigh Pastoral Holding

Company open day that all

successful trainees would now

have the opportunity to work

at the mine if they did not wish

to pursue careers in the pastoral

industry.

Th e trainees complete Level

II programs in Agricultural Beef

Production.

Th e holding company’s

pastoral adviser, Boyd Curran,

said future training programs

would include time on the mine

site as well as on the cattle

station.

Mr Curran said most trainees

graduated in about 12 months

but could take up to two years

if required and the company

off ered support to graduates

after they left the station.

Th e North Queensland Miners

Association (NQMA) wants

more input from emerging

mining and exploration

companies.

President Ralph De Lacey

said the traditional mining

focus of the Atherton Tableland

and surrounds, where the

organisation is based, was on

small tin and gold miners.

However, he said small miners

had been displaced by medium-

sized companies in recent years,

and the NQMA would like to

see these companies become

actively involved in the advocacy

organisation.

“It is of benefi t to everybody

that all miners are involved, that

they come to the meetings and

put forward their points of view,

and then the association can be

“One thing we’re working

hard on is the continued

follow-up and mentoring of our

trainees once they fi nish here on

the property,” he said.

“Because we do provide a

lot more support here on the

property than you would have

in any mainstream organisation,

we’re very aware that it is quite

daunting for our trainees to go

into the mainstream workforce

when they fi nish here.”

Th e pastoral holding company

aims to deliver economic returns

to the Waanyi community.

“Because we’re 51 percent

owned by the Waanyi people,

we see this as a huge legacy left

behind after the mine goes, so

we want to build it up into a

true economic powerhouse that

can deliver real benefi ts to our

shareholders,” Mr Curran said.

Th e company was formed

under the Gulf Communities

Agreement, which is a tripartite

agreement between OZ

Minerals (formerly Zinifex),

the Queensland Government

and native title groups to deliver

social and economic benefi ts to

the region.

helping small miners have their tenements granted through indigenous land use agreements had created a false impression that the NQMA was only for small miners.

Mr De Lacey spoke to Th e Mining Advocate at the recent North Queensland Gold Panning Championships in Mareeba.

He said the annual event, sponsored by the NQMA and companies operating in the region including Vital Metals and Republic Gold, provided the association with an opportunity to promote itself and was a social occasion for the district’s mining community.

In addition to his role with NQMA, Mr De Lacey is managing director of Consolidated Tin Mines, which

is focused on exploring three tenements in the southern Herberton tin fi eld on the Atherton Tableland.

“We’re hoping to put together a contained tin metal resource of 50,000 tonnes, which will then give us the confi dence to go ahead with development of a central mill with production of 5000 tonnes (of tin) per annum and a 10-year mine life,” he said.

“Once we get to that stage, we might have other deposits in the area that we can add.

“We’re looking at getting the numbers stacked up by the end of the year and doing a scoping study. We won’t be going straight into a mine development, but it will give us the confi dence next year to put a lot of holes together and start getting a measured resource.”

the voice of all miners,” Mr De Lacey said.

“It’s not much use us being the voice of a select few miners, we have to get everybody in there

and putting that to government as the real voice of miners in North Queensland.”

He said the association’s work from a decade ago in

Indigenous trainees gaining skills on a Gulf

cattle station are being roped in to join the

mining industry, writes Michael Stevens.

Century jobs off er

Companies urged to add voice to lobby group

Mareeba resident Wally Scott tests the waters at the North Queensland Gold

Panning Championships.

Trainees show off their horse skills at a Lawn Hill Riversleigh Pastoral Holding Company open day.


MINING AROUND THE WORLD

Eritrea is a north-east African nation bordered

by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south and

Djibouti in the south-east.

It was a colony of Italy and later administered

by the British under a United Nations mandate

before being federated with Ethiopia in 1951.

A struggle ensued against this federation,

eventually leading to Eritrea declaring its

independence and gaining international

recognition in 1993.

Eritrea has a small mining industry with growth

potential in minerals including gold, barite,

feldspar, kaolin, potash, rock salt, gypsum,

asbestos and marble. The country is also close to

export markets in the Middle East and Europe.

Australian gold explorer Sub-Sahara Resources

has a 69 per cent interest in the Zara joint venture

in northern Eritrea.

This is comprised of four contiguous exploration

licences covering an area of 196km sq.

Hugh Francis’ photo (above) features the Eritrean

gold industry on a much smaller scale, with

artisanal miners working independently of

mining companies.

The photo won the People and Culture category

of this year’s Snowden Photo Competition, an

amateur event that aims to showcase beauty in

the mining industry.

For more information on the competition visit

www.snowdengroup.com.

Hugh Francis’ Artisanal miners mining for gold, Eritrea. Photo: Courtesy of Snowden

Unlucky break on acid prices

Th e soaring price of sulphuric acid this year has forced Metals Finance Corporation (MFC) and Metallica Minerals to put back the highly anticipated fi rst production from the Lucky Break project.

Th e Lucky Break nickel and cobalt project west of Townsville was due to begin production late this year.

Th e company is now looking at mid-to-late 2009, subject to acid supply.

Metallica Minerals managing director Andrew Gillies told a recent Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) conference in Charters Towers that a supply deal made in August 2007 with Korea Zinc’s Sun Metals refi nery in Townsville had broken down over price.

He said sulphur prices were running at up to 10 times the market norm of between $20-$60 per tonne free on board (FOB), which was causing some pain to all acid leaching metal projects.

Such prices were an anomaly and had hopefully peaked, he said.

“Th e Lucky Break project was looking at getting a local supply of acid from Sun Metals,” Mr Gillies said.

“Unfortunately our joint venture partners and managers MFC are in dispute on that one.

“Acid prices, like sulphur prices generally, have gone up enormously. So we’ve basically had to put the Lucky Break project on hold.

“Everything was ready to go for project development and construction, subject to the acid price.”

Mr Gillies said prices were expected to drop again in the next couple years.

“Th ere’s expected to be a worldwide glut of sulphur in

Proponents have been forced to postpone

production at a new North Queensland nickel

and cobalt project, writes Robert Dark.

the next few years. Even the suppliers are mentioning that,” he said.

Th e company believed that with forecast long-term sulphur prices of less than $140 per tonne FOB it would have a robust project at Lucky Break.

Mr Gillies admitted the delay was frustrating.

He said he was keen to measure the production logistics at Lucky Break in the lead up to the feasibility study and commissioning of the fl agship NORNICO project.

Metallica is expecting to treat more than one million tonnes of nickel oxide or laterite ore for 8000 tonnes of nickel per annum from NORNICO, located south-west of Cairns.

Lucky Break is smaller. It is expected to yield about 1600 tonnes of nickel per annum from processing 250,000 tonnes of ore annually.

Because NORNICO is a much larger project which, subject to a favourable feasibility study, is touted to run for decades, the company is planning its own sulphur-burning acid plant and power plant on site.

“We are looking at importing

elemental sulphur, mostly from

Canada,” Mr Gillies said.

Th e company was scoping the

logistics of bringing the shipped

sulphur in through Mourilyan

harbour near Innisfail, he said.

Th at option would involve

building a sulphur storage

facility, which Mr Gillies said

would be a big boost to the

port’s utilisation.

In the last week of August,

Metallica Minerals announced

a nickel resource upgrade to

38 million tonnes at 0.73 per

cent nickel and 0.04 per cent

cobalt, containing approximately

282,000 tonnes of nickel,

to further underpin the

NORNICO project.

Andrew GilliesMetallica Minerals

managing director


A potential shift from underground to open-cut mining at BHP Billiton Cannington Mine would see the workforce swell to more than 1000 during the transition phase, a project leader says.

A decision will be made in December on whether to proceed to a full feasibility study for open-cut mining, which is being examined as a growth option under the Cannington Life Extension Project.

Project manager David Lawrence said major site construction would be required to possibly double the size of the processing plant (to facilitate higher production levels under open-cut mining) and to relocate surface infrastructure displaced by the new pit.

Additionally, open-cut and underground mining would be

below 1000 when Cannington transferred completely to open-cut mining, and the operation would assimilate as many of its underground workers into open-cut mining as possible.

“Th e reality is, the change is not going to happen quickly, so we’ll need both types of miners for a long time - it will be a very well-ordered transition,” he said.

About 540 BHP Billiton employees and up to 300

contractors presently work for the operation.

Th e open pit option for extending the life of Cannington silver, lead and zinc mine is attractive because of high metal prices, raising the possibility of mining the lower-grade “halo” around the current ore body.

However, Mr Lawrence said the operation would face a number of challenges in

undertaking open-cut mining in

an area containing underground

workings back-fi lled with paste

and underground infrastructure

including rock bolts.

A major drilling program is

under way to ensure that the

halo around the current ore

body is well understood.

Open-cut mining could start

as early as 2010 if the move

proves feasible.

A possible move to open-cut mining at

Cannington would see the site’s workforce

swell during a proposed three-year transition.

conducted simultaneously at

Cannington during a three-year

transition period.

Mr Lawrence said the

workforce would settle to

THE FACTS

One option for open-cut

mining would create a fi nal

pit about 620m deep and

2.5km wide.

Concentrate production

would increase by 50 per

cent over the life of the

project under open-cut

mining.

While underground mining

typically extracts about

60 per cent of a resource,

open-cut mining removes

well above 80 per cent.

David LawrenceCannington Life Extension Project

manager

The BHP Billiton Cannington Mine milltower. Photo: Stewart McLean

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Built on reputation


Although new shared minerals infrastructure could be constructed in Tennant Creek to boost its economic future, it is an old common-user facility that provides the historic gold town with its main tourist attraction.

Th e Mining Advocate recently visited the Battery Hill Mining Centre, home to a 10-head gold battery with 1200-pound stamps.

It is the only one remaining of three government batteries that provided processing for prospectors and small companies operating in the Tennant Creek fi eld during its heyday.

Th e battery in its original form began operating in June 1941, but halted from 1942 to 1946

before resuming around-the-clock production after World War II.

Structural damage forced it to be dismantled in 1956.

It was rebuilt in its present position, 30m to the south-west, in 1958.

Th e battery was decommissioned in 1985 and is now on static display to the public.

Battery Hill Mining Centre interim manager Roddy Calvert explained how gold was extracted after the stamps had crushed about 10 tonnes of ore per day.

“Copper plates on the primary amalgamation table were covered

A proposal to construct a common-user bulk mineral distribution facility in Tennant Creek has been awarded major project status by the Northern Territory Government.

Businessman Bill Gibbins, working with mining company MineMakers, is aiming to build the facility.

“Both Peko Magnetite and Bootu Creek mines (in the

region) are exporting well and the $10 million of mineral exploration expected to be undertaken in the region this year points to a number of potential new mines,” NT Chief Minister Paul Henderson said.

Th e project would see a $30 million investment to construct the Tennant Creek facility and up to $20 million spent on East Arm Port stockpile facilities.

An historic extraction plant off ers Tennant Creek

visitors a glimpse of the Territory town’s gold

industry in its heyday, writes Michael Stevens.

with silver nitrate and then a

smearing of mercury - it’s the

mercury that captures that gold,”

she said.

“At the end of the day, the

operators would run a rubber

block up the tables and scrape a

gold and mercury amalgam into

a metal pan.

“Th ey would then retort the

ball of amalgam in a wood-fi red

retort pot to remove the mercury

- at a certain heat the mercury

vaporises - and it was then

cooled, solidifi ed and re-used.

“Th e gold would be further

processed in a crucible, then

hammered into a bar and

scrubbed with borax to make the

ingot appear gold.”

A cyclone and secondary

amalgamation table extracted

gold from ore that was not

properly treated in the initial

process.

Battery powers tourism

Above: Battery Hill Mining Centre interim manager Roddy Calvert.

Inset: Tennant Creek residents watch the fi rst ore being crushed at the

government battery that remains in the town as a tourist attraction.

Photo: (National Archive of Australia: A1200, L28477)

Proposed minerals facility

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Mount Isa could learn a thing or two from the experiences of Tennant Creek in attracting women to mining towns.

City Mayor John Molony recently unleashed a storm of controversy when he appealed for “beauty disadvantaged women” to move to Mount Isa to help even up a perceived imbalance in the male-to-female population.

According to information at the Tennant Creek Battery Hill Mining Centre, Tennant Creek believed it had a similar shortage of women in 1964, and 21-year-old Melbourne telephonist Diane McNiece off ered a solution.

After hearing that the town was home to 150 lonely bachelors, Ms McNiece off ered to spend her holidays in Tennant Creek if the men paid for her air fare, which they willingly did.

Ms McNiece was greeted at the town’s airstrip with a bagpipe serenade and drew a name out of a hat to determine her offi cial escort for her

Tennant Creek stay.Unfortunately for the

bachelors, Ms McNiece left after her three-week holiday in Tennant Creek without accepting any of the marriage proposals that came her way, saying that she was too young to get hitched.

But media coverage of her visit inspired other women from America, Europe and across Australia to write to men in Tennant Creek off ering to follow in Ms McNiece’s footsteps and the town council apparently considered subsidising such visits.

Th e publicity also inspired the formation of a Tennant Creek theatre group, the Limelight Club, whose fi rst production We Aint Got Dames was based on Ms McNiece’s visit.

Tellingly, the club stated that the show took liberties with the truth in the same way as the media did, claiming that Tennant Creek already had a number of unattached women in the town at the time of Ms McNiece’s visit.

A Melbourne telephonist threw the limelight

on Tennant Creek in the ‘60s with her novel

response to the town’s gender imbalance.

Th ere is nothin’ like a dame...

Th e same ambiguity can be found in the media coverage of the Mount Isa woman shortage.

Some reports state that men outnumber women fi ve to one in the city, but the latest Australian

Bureau of Statistics regional profi le for the Mount Isa local government area (2006) shows only 1236 more males than females in a population of 21,082.

Diane McNiece draws a name out of the hat to determine her offi cial chaperone

during her Tennant Creek holiday.

Inset: A poster for the We Aint Got Dames theatrical show is displayed at the

Tennant Creek Battery Hill Mining Centre.

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Townsville

Organisers added a fresh element to the 2008 Northern Engineering Conference by inviting budding engineers from local schools to the Cairns event.

Nine high school students joined 72 engineering professionals to listen in on the technical sessions, Engineers Australia Cairns local group committee member Craig Kazakoff said.

“We just wanted to create an environment where the kids could be exposed to the engineering profession,” he said.

Mr Kazakoff said the initiative had been an “eleventh hour” decision and he believed it would be repeated and improved

upon at the next Cairns-based conference.

Th e Northern Engineering Conference is held annually and rotated between Cairns, Mackay and Townsville in North Queensland.

Mr Kazakoff organised the 2008 conference along with fellow Engineers Australia Cairns local group member Fiona Collin.

“Th e local group was very pleased with the response from the local engineering community - both in terms of sponsorship and attendance – and we hope to make it bigger and better next time,” he said.

Th e 2008 conference, from

August 7 to 9, kicked off with

an opening night function at

Tjapukai Cultural Centre and

incorporated a number of social

events, including a dinner at

A recent conference in Cairns reached out to

local youth while encouraging speakers to

tackle their industry’s most challenging issues.

Focus on northern engineering the Cairns International Hotel attracting more than 100 people.

Mr Kazakoff said the Northern Engineering Conference gave engineering professionals in the region the chance to share knowledge and to network without having to travel to Brisbane, where many such events tended to be based.

Th e theme for the 2008 event - “Engineering in Volatile Times” - was intended to explore the opportunities and risks presented to northern engineers by the changing demands of economic policy, community expectations regarding environmental impact, population pressures on infrastructure and the tropical climate.

Mr Kazakoff said speakers had been challenged to come up with presentations showing how they managed to balance

environmental conditions with

functional requirements.

“We were very impressed

with many of the speakers who

attacked that topic head-on and

shared their innovations and

ideas with the rest of us,” he said.

Other presentations were

aimed at keeping engineers

abreast of changing legislative

requirements and research.

Th e challenges of the

Cardwell Range Road upgrade,

water quality issues and the

“ever-changing” triggers for

environmental approvals were

among many topics covered in

technical presentations.

Mackay is scheduled to host

the 2009 Northern Engineering

Conference.

Craig Kazakoff Northern Engineering

Conference organiser

A delegation from Townsville-based Britrac Engineering Services travelled to Sweden recently to train in a new area of business.

Britrac often installs conveyer belts for the mining industry as an Australian agent for global supplier Metso Minerals.

Metso Minerals also has about 85 per cent of the European market in the manufacture and supply of belts for the plasterboard industry and is trying to break into the Australian market for these belts.

Metso Minerals sent Britrac manager Brian Steele and senior splicer Kevin Maskery to its service centre in Rotenberg for four days to train for an upcoming plasterboard belt installation job at a CSR Gyprock project in Brisbane.

Mr Steele said the pair trained

on two orders being prepared for projects in Birmingham, England.

He said the belt sections - manufactured in Norway - were closely inspected, tested with a laser for thickness and joined together fl awlessly.

“It’s a very similar concept to joining belts in the mining industry, but there’s a bit more fi nesse and detail required in putting the plasterboard belts together,” Mr Steele said.

“Th e belts have to be absolutely smooth and fl at because the plasterboard is actually set on top of the conveyer belt and the belts have to be particularly smooth where they are joined.

“A piece of plasterboard cannot have any faults in it and if you stuff it up it costs a lot of money.”

Mr Steele said the trip was

his fi rst to Sweden and it had

taken a while to adjust to the

mid-summer situation in that

country of darkness for only a

couple of hours each night.

Britrac is now authorised

to join plasterboard belts in

Australia for Metso Minerals.

More skills under

the belt for Britrac

Britrac manager Brian Steele (right) with senior splicer Kevin Maskery in Metso Minerals’ plasterboard workshop.


Th e head of a Townsville-based management consultancy says their experience in organising sand supplies for a major project in Russia has highlighted how well placed northern Australian companies and workers are to pursue overseas contract work.

Project Delivery Managers (PDM) recently completed work for the multibillion-dollar Sakhalin II energy project in Russia, which called for PDM to manage the winning and refi ning of about 23,000 tonnes of special fi ne-grained sand from the Burdekin River and supervise transport logistics leading to the sand’s delivery to Sakhalin Island in the northern Pacifi c Ocean.

Director Andrew Franzmann said his experiences during the project confi rmed his opinion that Australians were highly valued in overseas engineering operations as technically skilled all-rounders.

“We’re well regarded for our attitude to working across a number of diff erent disciplines,” he said.

With a successful foray into Russia behind it, a North

Queensland fi rm shares some insight on overseas contract

opportunities.

“In some countries, everyone specialises and hands (parts of the job) on to other specialists, but Australians are known for being versatile.

“We’re generally recognised as being very well trained and technically refi ned, and our labour-skilled workforce is well educated in that regard.”

Th e Sakhalin II project includes construction of an 800km onshore pipeline to connect off shore hydrocarbon deposits to the north of the island to a liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) and oil export terminal in the island’s south.

Th e route crosses an unprecedented 19 active fault lines, meaning it has to be backfi lled with special fi ne-grained silica sand to allow the pipe to move sideways up to 5.5m in the event of a major earthquake.

Th e sand is usually sourced from nearby coastal deposits in Russia, but PDM was asked to organise substitute sand from the Burdekin when northern Pacifi c waters froze in -40C winter temperatures, making it impossible to win sand.

Sand from the Burdekin was transported to Townsville where it was dried, screened and bagged before being trucked to the Port of Townsville and loaded onto Russian ships.

Mr Franzmann said PDM faced a number of logistical challenges during its management contract, which were amplifi ed by the fact that construction of the pipeline could not be delayed by any issues with the sand shipment.

Th e Burdekin sand required continual monitoring during screening to ensure it conformed to a specifi ed size range.

PDM also navigated diff erences between Russian and Australian engineering standards to establish the sand’s shear strength characteristics and managed shipping agents and logistics issues.

Mr Franzmann said success in gaining overseas contracts was partly due to “who you know” but more importantly “for what and how you deliver” when given the opportunity.

Business lessons written in sand

Andrew FranzmannPDM director

Lowering gas pipe at a fault crossing.

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Queensland and the Northern Territory continues to be integral to the growth and expansion of Simply Containers and Tank Containers Australia (subsidiaries of SCF Containers International).

With the recent acquisition of a container supplier in Brisbane, and the Simply Containers agency in Darwin, SCF Containers are looking to further expand their business within the region. ‘We are excited about increasing our presence in northern Australia and we are looking forward to developing closer relationships with clients in this area’ SCF Containers Director Richard Sykes said.

Indeed, one of their clients utilises the Perkins Shipping service from Darwin to Gove extensively, with a number of SCF Containers’ units in service. With specia-lised equipment such as the Sea2Rail container in both 20’and 40’confi gura-tions, SCF Containers are able to supply equipment which is both road and rail friendly and has the added advantage of being cell guide compatible for use on all Perkins vessels.

As a result of the rapid growth in both the mining and support services sectors within these regions there continues to be a shortage of both accommodation and offi ce facilities.

In response to this shortage, Simply Containers are pleased to present their range of Offi ce and Accommodation Units to the region, in particular to the Mining and Exploration industries. ‘The requirement for easily transportable, cost effective housing and amenities blocks is certainly solved by our range’ Simply Containers QLD Regional Man-ager Bob Huxley said.

‘Our offi ce and accommodation units are specifi cally manufactured in a container frame to provide strength, sta-bility and durability while also provid-ing the very best in transportable style accommodation throughout our quality interior’.

SCF Containers also offers tank containers to the region through their subsidiary Tank Containers Australia.

‘Between the growth in East Timor, the mining and exploration boom in Northern Queensland and the NT, the demand for liquid transport and storage has placed signifi cant demands on the industry and we at TCA are looking to capitalise on this by opening up a depot in Gladstone’ TCA Assistant General Manager Lionel Edwards said.

‘We are very excited at being able to service this area more effectively and build on our current relationships. We currently supply acid tanks to East Timor for the only 24hr service station in Dili and no doubt our relationships with the government and police there will increase now that the new Perkins Ship-ping services are in operation’.

In fact, TCA have been experiencing such growth that they have purchased and are now in the process of tak-ing delivery of 180 tanks which are a mixture of food grade, DG and non DG. Delivery will commence in late July and be completed in time for the New Year shutdowns. ‘This will provide us with added impetus to be able to better service our clients in northern Australia. Recently, we have been supplying com-panies throughout the area for tanks to

store fuel, acid and oil for various uses.

For example, tanks for the liquid gas

and bio diesel plants, tanks for drilling

pumps and as well as tanks for helicop-

ter fuel for the oil rigs’

‘Additionally, TCA is in the process of

designing and producing a self bunding

system for ISO tanks which will cap-

ture any spillages in the event that an

incident occurs. This is an important

step forward in protecting our clients’

in terms of OHS&E, as well as increasing

our service to clients. I’m looking for-

ward to seeing the fi rst unit in operation

in a fortnight’s time’.

Simply Containers provides portable housing for a mine site in Africa

11The Mining Advocate | September 2008 PEOPLE

community to become a part

of, or does it take a while to

fi t in?

RB: Mount Isa is a very

friendly and welcoming

community. As with

any town, it is what you

make of it, and there are

plenty of opportunities to

get involved in whatever

interests people have.

Th e hardest part of

the weekend is trying to

narrow down the options,

with a huge range of

sporting options on off er

and loads of great places to

go camping and four-wheel

driving.

Q: To what extent is social

life ordered around shift

work at the mines?

RB: Steve and I don’t

have to do shift work but

for those that do, shift

work has an impact in

the sense that you need

to plan ahead a bit. Th ere

is a negative impact on

team sports, with regard

to people not being able

to attend every week.

But with work rosters

rotating continuously,

there is always something

happening every day of the

week.

Steve and Ros Budd

and their family have

enjoyed an active

and social lifestyle in

Mount Isa over the

last 13 years, proving

that the city is not just

a domain for single

men.

After working at Xstrata

Mount Isa Mines for

12 years, Ros recently

took up a role as senior

exploration geologist with

Kings Minerals, which is

exploring in the region.

Steve is acting manager

for Xstrata Copper

Engineering Services.

Th e pair also run

Outback Photographics,

with Ros taking the photos

and Steve organising

the business side of the

operation.

Th ey have two teenage

children – Lisa, who is

planning to study business

at James Cook University

in Townsville in 2009,

and Scott, who wants to

specialise in a trade after

Year 12.

Q: When did you move to

Mount Isa?

RB: We arrived here on

Mardi Gras night in 1995.

Th e move from Townsville

to Mount Isa presented

a work opportunity for

both of us in a “live in”

community. Fly in-fl y out

was not an option that we

wanted to take up as we

both wanted to be home

every night with the family.

Q: Is Mount Isa an easy

Budds loving life, Isa-styleRos and Steve Budd

with their children,

Scott and Lisa.

”Fly in-fl y out was not an option that we

wanted to take up as we both wanted to be

home every night with the family”

Q: Th e issue of high lead

levels in the city has received

a lot of media attention

lately – has it been a concern

for your family?

RB: No, it boils down

to basic hygiene and it is

no surprise that there are

naturally elevated levels of

lead in the soil. Without

it there would be no mine

and therefore no town.

Q: Has Mount Isa’s

remoteness been a challenge?

RB: Not really, it’s all

relative and it just means

a bit more planning. You

can get everything you

need but not necessarily

everything you want

when you want it. Th e

remoteness is most noticed

if there is an emergency

such as trying to get to see

a dentist on a weekend.

It is expensive to fl y

anywhere from Mount

Isa, so we generally plan

less frequent but longer

holidays.

Q: What is the best part of living in the Isa?

RB: Th e lifestyle in

Mount Isa is second to

none. It is a very relaxed

atmosphere and people

can do as much or as little

as they choose. Socially, it

is a young town with lots

of energy and enthusiastic

people.

You can’t go anywhere

without seeing someone

you know - my daughter

Lisa says that this can be a

good and a bad thing.

People in Mount Isa

work hard and play hard.

It is a town of

opportunities where

families can enjoy a great

lifestyle, get a good head-

start fi nancially and make

loads of great lifelong

friends.

A new Northern Territory AFL team, set to play in the Queensland competition next year, has received sponsorship from Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) and parent company Rio Tinto.

Th e companies said they were pleased to be foundation sponsors of an iconic Territory-based, nationally recognised sporting team.

Th e arrangement will also provide access to potential trainees and employees for their operations, as each player in the team

is required to be in full-time employment

or a traineeship.

It is envisaged that sporting and career

pathways will especially be opened up

for players from the Territory’s Gove and

Jabiru regions, where the two companies

operate.

ERA and Rio Tinto are also sponsoring

the Northern Territory Storm netball

team in the new Australian Netball

League.

AFL legend Michael Long, left, poses with a mock-up of the new Northern Territory guernsey

alongside promising youngster Michael Gugliotta and Rio Tinto managing director Stephen Creese.

New era for Territory AFL

DATE CLAIMERS

Cairns networking opportunityCairns Chamber of Commerce Mining Company Familiarisation - held in

conjunction with the Cairns Amateurs, Cannon Park Race Course, September

12-13. For more information, visit www.cairnschamber.com.au.

Sustainable development summitMinerals Council of Australia’s Sustainable Development Conference -

Darwin City Convention Centre, September 15 to 19. For more information

visit www.sd08.com.au.

Memorial day for Queensland miners Queensland Miners Memorial Day - September 19, Roma Street Parklands,

Brisbane.

Hydraulics in water engineeringEngineers Australia Hydraulics in Water Engineering conference - Darwin

Convention Centre, September 23 to 26. For more information, visit www.

hydraulics2008.com.

Economic development conference Townsville City Council’s North Queensland Economic Development

Conference - Mercure Inn, October 2 and 3. For more information visit www.

riseofthenorth.com.au/enterprise/nqedc.

A joint research project could lead to improvements in the lung health of miners in Queensland.

Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said the State Government and the University of Western Sydney had

embarked on a joint investigation into the eff ects of silica dust on miners.

Silica dust can cause acute silicosis, a slow-developing lung disease.

“Th e study will determine how silica dust is being controlled

on work sites and what further improvements can be made,” Mr Wilson said.

He said the Queensland Mines Inspectorate had sent a questionnaire to industry in a bid to identify activities where workers may be exposed to silica dust.

Silica dust probe kicks off

12 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE

Th e Northern Territory Resources Council has welcomed the return of Kon Vatskalis to the resources portfolio after the recent Territory elections.

Mr Vatskalis has taken on the responsibilities of Primary Industry, Fisheries and Resources as well as Employment. He is also the Business Minister.

He was previously Mines and Energy Minister between December 2003 and August 2006, before Chris Natt took over the portfolio.

Mr Natt lost his seat in the recent election.Northern Territory Resources Council chief

executive offi cer Scott Perkins said Mr Vatskalis was well known as an energetic and enthusiastic supporter of the resources sector.

Chief Minister Paul Henderson has taken over responsibility for Economic Development in the new ministry and he is also the Major Projects and Trade Minister.

Deputy Chief Minister Marion Scrymgour remains the Minister for Indigenous Policy, and Education and Training.

Treasurer Delia Lawrie retains responsibility for Planning and Lands, and Infrastructure and Transport.

Karl Hampton is the new Regional Development Minister, which is a portfolio now based in Alice Springs.

Meanwhile, the Northern Territory Resources

Welcome return to

resources portfolio

for Kon Vatskalis

New zone confi rmedExco Resources says recent drilling has confi rmed

the presence of a major new zone of mineralisation

on the eastern limb of its E1 North copper deposit.

Managing director Michael Anderson said ore-

grade intersections had been returned in fi ve holes

over a strike length of at least 160m and visual

interpretations suggested the presence of signifi cant

mineralisation in a further four holes.

He said the intersections occurred outside the

current E1 North resource model and the new

results were expected to lead to a sizeable increase in

resources.

Mr Anderson said the company remained on track

to update the resource models for E1 North and E1

South during this quarter.

Th e E1 Camp is located 40km north-east of

Cloncurry in North Queensland.

Republic taps CSIRO expertiseRepublic Gold has completed a joint research

project with CSIRO and the Queensland

Department of Mines and Energy Geological Survey,

utilising CSIRO’s expertise in modelling mineralising

systems.

Th e project has resulted in the development of a

computer modelling technique for predicting the

location of mineral deposits in the Hodgkinson Basin

in North Queensland.

Republic Gold managing director John Kelly said

the new modelling technique would greatly enhance

the company’s array of geological tools and help

it to prioritise areas for evaluation and increase its

effi ciency in locating and defi ning mineral deposits.

Progress at Wolfram Camp Queensland Ores has announced that

commissioning of the plant at its Wolfram Camp

is progressing well and concentrates continue to be

produced.

Th e company stated that it had overcome an initial

problem with suspended solids in the process water.

Th e Wolfram Camp tungsten and molybdenum

project is 90km west of Cairns.

Territory surveysDeep Yellow has conducted an airborne

electromagnetic survey over selected target areas

within its Reynolds Range, Mt Doreen and Mt

Liebig uranium projects in the Northern Territory.

A 15,000m aircore drill program is scheduled to

begin on the project areas early this month as follow-

up to the survey.

A reverse circulation percussion drill program

is also scheduled for October at Deep Yellow’s

Nonouba project to the west of Alice Springs.

Axiom project fl oweringAxiom Mining has received assay results for three

more of the eight diamond drill holes completed

recently at the company’s Nightfl ower project, near

Chillagoe in North Queensland.

Th e company stated that bonanza-grade silver

and high base-metal values had been obtained in all

recently assayed intersections at the project’s Digger

Lode, which showed that it extended along strike

and down dip well beyond what had previously been

shown.

Axiom Mining believes the assay results have

important implications for the project and

demonstrate its signifi cant economic potential,

particularly given that it is located only 25km from

Kagara’s rapidly developing mining and treatment

operations and associated infrastructure.

Drilling begins at WollogorangGulf Mines has begun the drilling program at

its Wollogorang copper project in the Northern

Territory.

Managing director Graham Reveleigh said the fi rst

hole into the Masterton Ridge prospect intersected

visible copper mineralisation in numerous intervals

along the hole.

He said the drilling program was aimed at probing

several target types and was continuing.

Excellent results for MarquaUramet Minerals has received “excellent” laboratory

assay results for samples taken from its Marqua

phosphate project in the Northern Territory,

following on from initial exploration work that

confi rmed the presence of phosphate earlier this year.

Managing director Bill Hewitt said the company

was looking forward to the completion of

targeted drilling programs to gain a more detailed

understanding of the extent of mineralisation.

“A number of these results are well above the grade

required for direct shipping ore and are nothing short

of spectacular,” he said.

Th e Marqua project is in the southern Georgina

Basin near the Queensland border.

Ivanhoe raises fundsIvanhoe Australia, which is 80 per cent owned by

Canadian company Ivanhoe Mines, began trading on

the Australian Securities Exchange recently with an

initial public off ering.

Th e listing has raised capital for ongoing

exploration and development of Ivanhoe Australia’s

2250sq km of tenements in the Mount Isa-Cloncurry

mineral district in north-west Queensland.

Th e company’s current focus is on the preparation

of development studies for its iron oxide, copper and

gold discoveries at the Mount Elliott, Mount Dore

and Starra Line projects.

Non-stop miningCitigold has begun continuous mining at its

Warrior Mine in Charters Towers.

Chief executive offi cer Mark Lynch said

underground operations were running 24/7, with

miners working shifts of 12 hours per day.

He said the increase in operating hours was

another important step required for scaling up mine

development and gold output over the coming year.

It is a part of the company’s planned expansion of

underground working areas by duplicating the current

operations along strike.

Mine manager Garry Foord said a successful

recruitment drive had been undertaken to meet an

increase in underground staff .

More Rocklands intercepts CuDECO has announced that ongoing drilling

within the widespread Rocklands mineralised zone in the Mount Isa district continues to intercept signifi cant copper mineralisation.

Chairman Wayne McCrae said an identifi ed resource footprint of more than 700m along strike and 500m in width represented a signifi cant target for the company’s current resource defi nition program.

He said mineralisation remained open along strike to the north-west and to the south-east.

NORNICO resource boostMetallica Minerals’ NORNICO nickel resource

base has increased to 38.63 million tonnes following recent results.

Managing director Andrew Gillies also said that the fi rst nickel resource estimate was expected later this year for the Kokomo deposit within the NORNICO project, where extensive exploration continues.

Th e project is near Mount Garnet and Greenvale in North Queensland.

Silver Hill going strongConquest Mining has announced that recent

drilling at its Silver Hill gold and silver deposit in North Queensland confi rms grades and extended the resource south and west.

Th e company stated that drilling was continuing with two rigs on contract.

Th e Silver Hill deposit is part of the Mt Carlton project near Townsville.

Good news for GlengarryGlengarry Resources has reported encouraging

results from the initial phase of exploration at the company’s new polymetallic Percyvale Project.

Th e project is located 300km west of Townsville in a geological region known to host economic deposits of a number of diff erent metals including gold, copper, lead-zinc-silver, uranium and molybdenum.

Glengarry Resources managing director David Richards said fi rst-pass mapping, soil sampling and prospecting had defi ned large anomalies at the Bernadette and Maggies prospects within the project.

He said initial drill testing in coming months would follow up high-grade copper, gold and silver values.

Council has elected Groote Eylandt Mining

Company (GEMCO) general manager Bryan Quinn

as its new president.

He replaces former president Chris Salisbury,

who was the chief executive of Energy Resources of

Australia (ERA) but recently left the company to

move to another role in parent company Rio Tinto.

New Northern Territory Resources Minister Kon Vatskalis.

13The Mining Advocate | September 2008 INDUSTRY UPDATE

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Mt Isa

Townsville467-481 W

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Kagara forecasts a

bright future despite

recent profi t slump

Tin mine purchase Kangaroo Metals has signed a purchase

agreement with unnamed parties for the California Creek alluvial tin mine, west of Cairns in North Queensland.

Managing director Brett Teale said the company would now undertake due diligence to assess the value of the asset to its operations.

Th e California Creek alluvial mine is centrally placed on Kangaroo Metals’ current California and California West exploration tenements.

It consists of 15 mining leases covering 25km of creek bed and a processing plant site.

Dr Teale said the new mine site also had a fully operational camp, which could accommodate six to12 staff with full amenities, solar power, gas and communications.

He said the camp would serve as a base for further exploration as well as mine operations.

Discovery at Greenvale EastAnchor Resources has reported the discovery of

a new zone of gold and copper mineralisation at the Clayholes Dam prospect, part of the company’s Greenvale East project in North Queensland.

Managing director Trevor Woolfe said the company’s technical team was reviewing the results received from the recent drilling program, focusing on the mineralised holes clustered at the northern end of the prospect.

Anchor Resources received a grant under the State Government’s 2007 Collaborative Drilling Initiative for the program.

Arafura chemical plantArafura Resources has signed an agreement with

Incitec Pivot to develop a chemical processing facility that would supply chemicals to Arafura’s proposed rare earths phosphate plant in the Northern Territory.

Th e chemical facility would supply hydrochloric and sulphuric acid and caustic soda to the plant for the production of rare earths and phosphoric acid.

Arafura Resources managing director Alistair Stephens said the agreement was a major step forward for the company’s Nolans project, 100km north of Alice Springs.

A heads of agreement study will incorporate a review of potential plant sites in either South Australia or the Northern Territory for both the chemical plant and the rare earths processing facilities. It is expected to take about six months.

Golden results at Rover 1 Westgold Resources has reported further

“outstanding” drilling results from its Rover 1 project near Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory.

Managing director Andrew Beckwith said the high-grade gold mineralisation occurred within a broad polymetallic iron oxide-copper-gold system.

Land use agreements formedNorth Queensland Metals (NQM) has announced

the registration of three indigenous land use

agreements covering its tenements in the Herberton

area.

NQM is developing a copper, tin, silver and indium

mine at Baal Gammon and is exploring the region for

additional ore sources for the project.

Th e agreements outline the process the company

will follow in order to explore and develop in the

areas encompassed by its exploration permits for

minerals.

Th ey also cover compensation and co-operative

arrangements in relation to employment and business

opportunities.

Th e indigenous land use agreements involve the

Jirrbal people and the Bar Barrum people.

An aerial view of Kagara’s Mungana operation.

Kagara is remaining optimistic despite a drop in profi ts for the last fi nancial year.

Th e company reported a net annual profi t for 2007/08 that was 28 per cent lower than the previous year, but also forecast a 35 per cent increase in copper production for the 2009 fi nancial year.

Th e copper, zinc and lead producer described its $65 million net profi t after tax for the 12 months to June 30 as “robust” and underpinned by the record copper output.

It stated that the result reinforced the company’s position as a low-cost, high-margin base metal producer with a diversifi ed production base.

Th e result was achieved despite a signifi cant fall in commodity prices and a rising Australian dollar during the year.

Kagara expected its copper production to increase to 35 to 40,000 tonnes for 2008/09, with the company set to benefi t from the construction and commissioning of its fourth base metal treatment plant at the Mungana project near Chillagoe.

Executive chairman Kim Robinson said copper was now the main driver of the company’s earnings growth and provided an excellent buff er against the current cyclical downswing in zinc prices.

“With the medium-term outlook for copper remaining positive and our production forecast to increase strongly again this fi nancial year, the outlook for Kagara remains very positive,” he said.

Mr Robinson said the estimated $50 million capital expenditure remaining to bring the Mungana operations on stream in early 2009 was partly being internally funded and the board had decided not to pay a dividend for the 2007/08 fi nancial year.

“While this is regrettable, the company’s ability to internally fund this key development project represents an important strategic advantage in the current equity market environment, with the Mungana development set to increase our copper production and enable us to more than double our zinc production to in excess of 100,000 tonnes per annum of metal in concentrate in the 2009/10 fi nancial year,” he said.

Th is would also enable Kagara to internally fund the other exciting growth projects within its portfolio, Mr Robinson said.

Growing confi denceConsolidated Tin Mines has announced further

signifi cant intercepts of tin and iron mineralisation

from recently completed drilling at its fl agship

Mount Garnet project in North Queensland.

Th e drilling program targeted three key deposits

- Gillian, Pinnacles and Deadmans Gully. It was

designed to provide verifi cation of existing data and

obtain material for metallurgical testing.

“Th e results from this program give us great

confi dence in moving forward with our next drilling

campaign, which will follow up on the strong tin

and iron intercepts at Mount Garnet, and we will

then embark on another drill program before the

end of the year to expand and upgrade the resource

base at the project,” executive technical director John

Sainsbury said.

14 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateINDUSTRY UPDATE

Exhibition Sites are now on sale for the2009 Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo

Register now to promote your product in one of the richest mineralprovinces in the world. Home to several of the world's largest mining

conglomerates and international mining organisations.

Showcasing the latest in mining tools, trades and technologies over three whole days

For further information contact

Mount Isa Chamber of Commerce I 76-78 Camooweal St, Mount Isa, QLD, 4825 I PO Box 1705 I Phone: 4743 9881 I

or jump onto the website at www.michamber.com.au

2009 Xstrata Mount Isa Mining Expo24, 25 & 26 March 2009

Xstrata Entertainment Centre - Buchanan Park, Mount Isa QLD

INPEX will undertake nearshore drilling activities in the waters around Blaydin Point and several other locations in Darwin Harbour from this month until November.

Th is drilling project is part of the pre-feasibility study process being carried out for the company’s Ichthys Gas Field Development Project in the Browse Basin, 200km off the north-west coast of Western Australia, which is a joint venture operated by INPEX.

Darwin could be chosen as the preferred site for a $12 billion liquefi ed natural gas (LNG) facility to support the development.

Th e purpose of the drilling is to investigate geological and foundation conditions for proposed jetties, the off shore gas import pipeline route and the dredging areas required for a shipping channel, turning basins and berthing pockets.

A jack-up barge will drill 26 holes – about 21 in the proposed jetty areas and the proposed dredging areas and about fi ve along the proposed gas import pipeline route.

Th e boreholes will reach depths of up to 40m below the seabed and will provide core samples to be subjected to technical analysis at a later stage.

Th e LNG plant was originally intended to be built in WA, but Darwin emerged as an alternative site after environmental concerns were raised.

Harbour drilling

to help decide site

for LNG facility

Fundraising to propel diamond projectNorth Australian Diamonds has appointed Ascot

Securities to assist with capital raising of about $6 million.

Th e funds will primarily be used to progress the Merlin project to completion of a bankable feasibility study, which the company believes is the only way to generate future value for shareholders.

Th e project is situated about 75km south-south-east by road from McArthur River in the Northern Territory.

Phosphate potentialMinemakers has completed a four-month resource

defi nition drilling program at its Wonarah rock phosphate project in the Northern Territory.

New joint ore reserve committee-compliant resource estimates for the project’s main zone and Arruwurra prospect will be undertaken by Coff ey Mining over the next couple of months.

Minemakers managing director Andrew Drummond said the company expected that the new resource estimate for the main zone would signifi cantly increase from the current 72 million tonnes.

New targets at Pentland, IsaChina Yunnan Copper Australia has announced

signifi cant new copper and gold targets at its Mount Isa and Pentland projects in North Queensland.

Th e Huggins Lookout prospect was identifi ed as part of a regional reconnaissance program of all mineral occurrences reported by the Department of Mines and Energy within the company’s Mount Isa project.

Th e Toomba prospect at the Pentland project was the result of reconnaissance mapping and data collection of previously collected samples.

Th e company has commissioned a rig to drill the prospects.

Oil shale ban slammed Th e Queensland Government’s declaration of

a 20-year moratorium over the development of the McFarlane oil shale deposit would further erode Queensland’s standing as a destination for exploration investment, Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said.

Mr Roche said the Government was motivated in its decision by the marginal nature of the Labor seat of Whitsunday, which hosts the McFarlane deposit.

Premier Anna Bligh said she would not allow the environment to be put at risk while the technology for extraction of the resource was still not proven, and no new shale oil mines would be permitted anywhere in the state. Queensland has about 90 per cent of Australia’s known shale oil reserves.

Lady Annie expandsCopperCo has tied a new electrowinning section to

its processing plant at the Lady Annie copper project, near Mount Isa.

Th e company announced that commissioning of this section and several sections of a new solvent extraction plant was under way. Th e improvements were made under CopperCo’s copper output expansion project.

Extension of the crushing and stacking material handling system and leach pads was scheduled for completion early this month.Th e company said this would complete the project’s construction, which had so far occurred on time and on budget.

Cathode production, now around 19,000 tonnes per annum, will expand to 25,000 in December and 30,000 in June 2009 as the ore inventory under leach builds.

Looking deeper at RosebyWide zones of high-grade copper sulphide

mineralisation have been discovered at depth below the Blackard native copper resource at the Roseby project during recent drilling by Xstrata Copper as part of the sulphide extension exploration project (SEEP).

Th e SEEP joint venture, whereby Xstrata Copper earns a 51 per cent interest, surrounds but excludes the resources that are owned wholly by Universal Resources at Roseby, 65km north-north-west of Cloncurry in North Queensland.

Multiple zones of high-grade copper on three section lines were intersected within a strike length of 450m at Blackard.

Drilling also confi rmed the continuity of copper sulphide mineralisation along the south-easterly strike extensions of the nearby Legend resource.

Some West Australian media outlets have reported that INPEX has already chosen Darwin as its preferred location, but the company has stated it is still considering sites in WA including the Maret Islands and a potential multi-user LNG “hub” in the Kimberley.

A fi nal decision has been scheduled for the end of this month.

INPEX plans nearshore drilling in Darwin Harbour (above).

15The Mining Advocate | September 2008 INDUSTRY UPDATE

OM Holdings, operator of the Bootu Creek

manganese mine, 110km north of Tennant Creek

in the Northern Territory, is considering expanding

production and has announced a share buy-back.

Th e Singapore-based company aims to increase its

NT manganese production to 800,000 tonnes a year.

Th e mine was producing 550,000 tonnes of ore

a year until it installed a new run-of-mine bin last

December to feed ore more reliably into its processing

plant. Th e mine has seen record production since the

$4.1 million upgrade.

Th e company has announced it will increase

exploration activity with a view to extending the

mine’s life.

Th e current life-of-mine plan for Bootu Creek

stands at eight and a half years with production of

700,000 tonnes per annum.

OM Holdings chief executive Low Ngee Tong said

the company had more than $60 million in cash with

no debt.

“Th e outlook for our businesses remains very strong,

with manganese prices remaining buoyant,” he said.

OM (Manganese), a subsidiary of OM Holdings,

was listed on the then-Australian Stock Exchange in

March 1998. Its Bootu Creek mine was commissioned

in 2006 and earlier this year the company shipped

its millionth tonne of manganese from the Port of

Darwin.

Bootu Creek mine steps up production

Early expo planningPreparations have begun for the next Mount Isa

Mining Expo, to be held at Buchanan Park next year on March 24, 25 and 26.

Floor plans, site prices, expression-of-interest forms and event information have been released via email to all previous mining expo exhibitors and participants.

An early registration discount will be off ered.For further information contact the Mount Isa

Chamber of Commerce on 0488 439881.

Bad news for copper thievesErgon Energy has joined forces with Crime

Stoppers in a national program to combat copper theft, which has been attributed to the rising price of copper.

Th e program will include improved security and surveillance measures, as well as an awareness campaign to educate the community on the impact of copper thefts and to seek their support in identifying the culprits

Exporting safety know-howTh e Queensland Government’s Safety in Mines

Testing and Research Station (SIMTARS) has been awarded a $350,000 contract to provide software to a leading United States mine safety institute.

Mines and Energy Minister Geoff Wilson said SIMTARS would share its expertise with the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety, based in Washington DC.

He said Queensland’s gas monitoring system, long considered one of the best in the world, was used extensively in underground coal mines throughout the state and in New South Wales.

“Th e SIMTARS team has done the hard yards over many years to produce a state-of-the-art gas monitoring system that can quickly and reliably analyse the gas atmosphere in a mine,” he said.

Xstrata supports studiesXstrata Mount Isa Mines has initiated three

doctoral studies through the University of Queensland’s Centre of Mined Land Rehabilitation (CMLR). Xstrata Zinc is also a major sponsor of a further CLMR initiative that incorporates a fourth doctoral study. Th e studies involve:

• Investigation of the potential long-term risk of tailings seepage impacting on the environment at Mount Isa Mines and Ernest Henry Mine.

• Developing knowledge to allow Xstrata to make an informed decision about strategies for the revegetation of tailing storage facilities at those sites.

• Looking at the pathways of metals from air to land and water.

• Examining the role of vegetation on moisture store and release cover systems.

Calling country engineersEngineers Australia is calling for input from

engineers who have worked in regional areas.

A taskforce has been established to identify

programs to support the needs of engineering team

members living and working in regional Australia.

Th e group will address issues disadvantaging

regional members and explore opportunities that can

be pursued, especially in regards to increasing access

to career professional development and peer support.

Information collected from a survey will help the

taskforce better understand its regional members and

plan its activities and services.

Th e survey can be found at: www.easurveys.com.au/

SurveyASP/TakeSurvey.asp?PageNumber=1&Survey

ID=3MM9536H8592G.

Indigenous training programPathways into the mining sector for 240 indigenous

Queenslanders will be on off er through State

Government-subsidised pre-vocational training.

Education and Training Minister Rod Welford said

the new Indigenous Skilling Partnerships Program

was part of the Queensland Skills Plan 2008.

“During the next two years the program will

prepare indigenous students for vocational training

in areas such as mining, civil construction, hospitality

and business services,” he said.

Mr Welford said training providers would be

required to off er culturally appropriate support during

training and for a short period after job placement.

Th e program is one of several Queensland Skills

Plan 2008 initiatives to increase job opportunities for

unemployed and under-employed sectors.

Ore shifting at the Bootu Creek manganese mine in the Northern Territory.

16 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateBETWEEN SHIFTS

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Jupiters Casino Coral Sea Room, Townsville

Jupiters Casino Lobby Bar, Townsville

Emma Kitching (OZ Minerals), Caroline Morrissey (Queensland

Resources Council) and Brigette Hendersonhall (WIMARQ).

Alison Way (GHD), Kath Logan (OZ Minerals) and Anne Lavers

(GHD).

Mark Harris, Bill Drysdale and Stewart Sherrington (all from New

Hope Coal).

Katherine Lynch, Guy McKellar, Elizabeth Gray and Samantha Evans

(all from Anglo Coal).

Jane Moss (BMA), Claire Buchanan (BMA), Tammy Farrell (Core

Health Consulting) and Anne-Maree Buontempi (Xstrata).

James Cook University students Maureen Price and Karin Forarty

with Wendy Berry (BMA Saraji Mine).

Mark Blackburn, Ian Belousoff and Greg Dolan (Anglo).

Amanda Lacey, Jack Farry and Hanida Brady (BMA).

Kristin Coppola (Dawsons Engineering), Janice Ballard (Maunsell), Abby

Midgley (Maunsell) and Kelly Stokes (Townsville City Council).

Krishan Patten, Michelle Berry and Emma Grandy (all from

Downer EDI Mining).

Matt Daley (Xstrata Copper) and Nigel Ward (Xstrata Zinc).

Mauro Soto (Peabody Energy), Merv Wiki (Walter Mining) and

Scott Atkins (Valley Longwall International).

PHOTOS: Stewart McLean


17The Mining Advocate | September 2008 BETWEEN SHIFTS

Charters Towers Mines Charity Ball

Venus Battery, Charters Towers

Tim Baker and Dan Johnson

(Sovereign Metals) with Guy

Drummond (Well Drilled).

Steve and Colleen Moss

(Charters Towers Buckets and

Bodies).

Yanni Scamakas (Kagara) and Krystal Vickers.

Shannon Green and Jo Spiller (Mega Uranium).

Stella McMahon and Debra Hilton (Charters Towers Mines

Charity Ball Committee).

Rebecca Williams (Citigold) and Kieth McMullen (Charters Towers

State School).

Shaun and Alison Holman (Just for Kids rally).

Bruce Mutton (Drummond Gold) and Andrew Gillies (Metallica

Minerals).

Jenny Wishart and Danielle Almond (Queensland Ambulance Service).

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18 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateBETWEEN SHIFTS

Northern Engineering Conference welcome function

Tjapukai Cultural Centre, Cairns

PHOTOS: Romy Siegmann

Mitchim Elder (Aimtek), Tony

Black (Black and More), Kris

Steele (Black and More) and

Steve Day (Stephen Day and

Associates).

Felicity Yan and Adrian Zalta

(both James Cook University

engineering students).

Ann and Andrew Kerr (retired engineer).

Vicki Stannard and Cliff ord Stanyon (Stanyon Consulting).

John Breen (Main Roads), Dan Martin (Douglas Partners) and

John Hawkes (Cairns Regional Council).

Paul Pommer and Danette McLean (both from Connell Wagner).

Milton Messer (Northern Consulting) and Robert Mikhail (SKM).

Esther Bank and Kelly Stokes (both from Townsville City Council).

Jeff and Debbie Bunt, Michael Ganza (Engineers Australia), Marie and Warren Olsen (Cairns Ports).

19The Mining Advocate | September 2008 BETWEEN SHIFTS

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Terry Johnston (NQ

Cowboys), Lloyd Jones (OZ

Minerals) and Daniel Bridger

(MSS).

Steve Spiller (KSB) and

Howard Hardwick (OZ

Minerals).

John Craven (Orica Mining Chemicals) and Paul Heff eran (OZ Minerals).

Robert Bird (Robert Bird Group) and Cliff McCulloch (Wagners).

Lee McGorum, Ray Luff and Lara Higson (all from OZ Minerals).

Nigel Gill (BP) and Tristan Fortt (Orica).

Ron Black (Prime Print) and Brad Ryan (MTU Detroit Diesel).

Mark Nash (Nash Industrial Electrics), Jeff Innes (OZ Minerals) and

Paul Bowman (NQ Cowboys).

Dave Rodda (NQX), Lindsay Porter (NQX), Dave Lahy (QRX) and Matt Lehr (NQX).

20 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateLIFESTYLE

My wife Kath and I needed a kick-start recently, so we decided to throw our tent in the back of the Corolla and spend a few days travelling through the Atherton Tableland and Cape Tribulation. We certainly found relaxation - in fact, the lush green landscape and laid-back atmosphere were so invigorating the boss had to do without me for a couple of extra days while we enjoyed a long weekend - and a couple of sick days - in far north Queensland.

FRIDAY

Townsville to MareebaTh e Bruce Highway from

Townsville to the Innisfail turn-off to the Atherton Tableland was the worst part of the journey, with corridors of road works lengthening our travel time and a bevy of bogans in black utes threatening to cut it tragically short.

But after Italian sandwiches at an Innisfail deli we ascended to the undulating green plains of the Tableland and all was well with the world again.

At fi rst glance Mareeba perhaps seems an odd destination; it isn’t exactly on most travellers’ lists of aesthetically pleasing places to stop off .

But about 12km outside the town is the Granite Gorge campsite, set amid a series of rambling rounded granite boulders.

Granite Gorge is also promoted for its abundant rock wallabies and when we arrived they were being conjured up by a pied-piper in a Wicked Campers van playing a recorder (I hadn’t heard the instrument played with such gusto since our Year 5 music teacher belted out Auld Lang Syne in 1987).

Th e campsite is a perfect compromise between bush camping and caravan parks – its facilities are basic but you have the freedom to set up where you

Croc spotting, beach bliss and

the freedom to set up where you

Th e lure of the far north had Mining Advocate scribe Michael Stevens falling back on a

somewhat fl imsy excuse to delay his return to work as a recent getaway drew to a close.

He shares his tales from the road in these pages.

like and build a campfi re.Th ere were no signs

up reminding patrons to consider others when making noise and to clean up the sink, but funnily enough the site operated as a decent society all on its own.

We arrived just in time for a beer on a granite boulder in the twilight, which gave us an unexpectedly great view over a wide expanse of bushland.

SATURDAY

Granite Gorge to

DaintreeTh e drive through to

Daintree via Mossman took about an hour and was fascinating in its varied sights – wetlands, grazing cattle, country bed and breakfasts and pockets of tropical rainforest.

Daintree village, which is 15 minutes past the turnoff for the ferry to Cape Tribulation and thus not as popular as it could be, is one of the strangest places I have been – it feels like an ‘end of the line’ town, but with little else than tourist booking agencies.

We had dinner at a restaurant there that was surprisingly un-touristy – it did not play up to any particular image and was homely as a result.

Determined to stick strictly to regional fare, we ordered prawns grilled on pieces of sugar cane and crocodile wantons for starters.

For main course I ate barramundi steamed with Asian greens – I was amazed at how the subtle spices used in the dish really brought out the fl avour of the barramundi when I compared it with the plain grilled barra Kath ordered (one up for me; she hates it when I out-order her).

While we ate, a cat with multiple chins sneaked its way in

and sprawled out across the fl oor, occasionally hoisting itself up unsteadily to procure food from diners.

Our waitress shooed it out of the restaurant and on to the footpath– she said she often told overseas visitors that the cat was so fat because it was crossed with a wombat and apparently many tourists had fallen for the gag.

SUNDAY

Daintree to Cape

TribulationTh e bloke was unhappy and

letting everyone know about it – apparently he didn’t sleep too well after his drunken tent-mate urinated at the top of a slope too close to the tent and he awoke to a trickling yellow stream inside the canvas.

Apart from being greeted by the jarring sounds of an angry German early that morning, the “camp anywhere” park overlooking the Daintree River was pleasant enough.

After packing up the tent we took a nature cruise on the river, which was mainly dedicated to croc spotting but threw in some tree snakes and a pair of frogmouths for good measure.

And we did indeed spot a massive saltie – apparently breeding season had started early and a few dominant males were swimming up the river in search of good sorts. Unfortunately, we missed out on seeing long-term

residents Gummy and Fat Albert – our guide told us that records show Fat Albert was living in the river as long ago as the 1930s and probably earlier (crocodiles are thought to live for up to 100 years or more).

From Daintree we backtracked to the Cape Tribulation ferry and crossed into the splendour of thick, dark rainforest.

We set up camp at Cape Kimberley beach and busily set about the task of doing nothing for a few hours.

Sitting at our digs with a few beers and listening to Parra winning the footy on our radio, I started to imagine a slight snuffl e and enjoyed a pleasant premonition that I would be far too ill for work the next day to bother trying to drive back to Townsville.

However, the novelty of the campfi re almost did make me sick that night – with 20 diff erent groups of campers having their own smoky fi res in close proximity, Francis Ford Coppola could have rolled up and shot a sequel to Apocalypse Now.

MONDAY

Staying putTime to SMS the boss and

let him know I’ll be off work for a couple of days, before saluting the marvel of modern technology that has removed the need to make a pitiful phone call with tissues stuff ed up your nostrils.

Lazy Monday arvo was perfect – after listening to the Olympics coverage on the radio we went down to the beach to wet a line, ignoring the raised eyebrows of the bait seller who thought we were wasting our time fi shing without a boat.

We knew we wouldn’t be pulling in monsters of the deep, but Kath did manage to catch a couple of nice-sized whiting (yes, I was out-fi shed by my wife and I’m not afraid to admit it).

In any case, being ankle deep in warm coastal waters as the sun disappeared behind rainforest-clad mountains made the need for a better catch totally redundant.

A traveller muses over the Mareeba district

bushland at Granite Gorge campsite.

Daintree village –

slightly odd.

An afternoon at Cape Kimberley beach.

21The Mining Advocate | September 2008 LIFESTYLE

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the tricky ‘sickie’ that stayed

TUESDAY

Home the long way

around In order to make the journey

home more amenable, we decided to go back through the Tableland and sample some of the local produce.

First stop was Coff ee Works in Mareeba, a place that would smell of alertness if that state of

mind had an aroma. We then wound our way

through the hills to the Falls Teahouse near Millaa Millaa, where we gorged ourselves on pie fl oaters (homemade beef pies fl oating in mushy peas and gravy).

For dessert, we made a quick dash over to the Mungalli Creek Dairy, where I stuff ed myself so full of free cream cheese samples and a huge slab of mango

cheesecake that the seatbelt hurt across my belly in the fi nal hours of the drive home.

Th ere is no doubt we kicked

back mightily on our long weekend and a bit in far north Queensland, but I didn’t feel so clever about my lies to gain

a couple of extra days off work after our last day pig-out session.

On my second “sick” day, I did indeed arrive home sick.

A fair-sized saltie on the prowl in

the Daintree River.

Farmland against a backdrop of tropical

rainforest near Daintree village.Rainforest at Cape Tribulation.

22 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateREC ‘N TECH

While you’re working on site don’t miss a moment at home with Canon

Australia’s three new high-defi nition (HD) digital video cameras. Canon

says its HF11, HG20 and HG21 HD video cameras are the fi rst on the

market with a recording rate of 24Mbps, the highest rate possible for HD

cameras. The HG21 has the largest hard drive of the three, with a capacity

to record up to 45 hours of footage.

Sony has announced two new additions to its T-series range of Cyber-shot digital cameras.

The Album T (DSC-T700) allows you to capture and store up to 40,000 photographs. It’s also

equipped with instant search capabilities that make it easy to fi nd an image by face type. The

new super skinny T Slim (DSC-T77) is just 13.9mm at its thinnest point and a Smile Shutter icon

on its touch screen enables continuous shooting when smiling faces are detected.

RRP: Album T (DSC-T700) $599; T Slim (DSC-T77) $429.

Canon HD video camera

Nintendo DS Cooking Guide

Sony T-series Cyber-shot cameras

DSC-T77

DSC-T700

You eat well on the mine site, now eat well at home too with a

little help from Nintendo. The Nintendo DS Cooking Guide will

take you step by step through its 250 recipes, providing easy-to-

follow spoken instructions. It will also tell you what you need to

buy, the utensils you need and how many calories you’re about

to consume.

Rock out to your favourite tunes with the world’s fi rst digital wireless home

speaker system for iPod, available in Australia this month. The Eos Wireless system

uses WiFi technology to link a base station with up to four remote speakers

enabling you to pump CD quality music throughout your entire house.

Samsung’s new colourful YP-S3 video MP3

players come equipped with a simple “drag

and drop” music transfer tool, making it easier

to navigate your musical library. They also

feature a 176 x 220 resolution LCD screen and

are available in pink, white, blue and black.

RRP: $99 (2GB), $129 (4GB) and $189 (8GB).

EOS Wireless sound system

Samsung YP-S3 player

Re-charging your mobile, iPod or digital camera will always be an

easy task with the Power Monkey eXplorer portable solar charger.

The solar-slave draws power directly from the sun providing free

solar power wherever you happen to be. Available from

www.mulitpoweredproducts.com.au. RRP $169

Nintendo has enlisted the help of Olivia Let’s Get Physical Newton

John to sell its new series of programs aimed at getting you up

off the couch. Wii Fit is described as a health and lifestyle product

with more than 40 exercises. It could be the fi tness solution you

need to work off those hearty on-site meals.

Power MonkeyWii Fit

23The Mining Advocate | September 2008 BIGGER, TOUGHER, BETTER

Bambach saddle chair

Komatsu 960EUvex Helix C5 gloves

Sonomax hearing protection

Sundstrom breathing apparatus

Blue Steel boots

If you’ve ever spent a 12-hour shift in a

control room you’ll know how important it

is to have a comfy seat. Ergonomic chairs

designed by The Bambach Saddle Seat

company are designed to reduce neck,

shoulder and back pain and have the

Australian Physiotherapy Association’s tick

of approval. The RRP for a seat with a back is

$995 and a 30-day trial is available.

Towering 7m above the ground with tyres measuring

4m in diameter, the 327 960E-1 electric-drive truck is the

largest machine ever manufactured by Komatsu.

It has been designed and developed by Komatsu

America Corp and is being produced at operations in

Illinois to enhance productivity at mines throughout the

world.

Uvex is promising to put an end to sweaty,

uncomfortable safety gloves with its new Helix C5

range made using Bamboo Twinfl ex® technology.

The gloves provide the wearer with cut Level 5

hand protection as well as comfort and maximum

sweat absorption.

Disposable ear plugs could soon be a thing of the past if Sonomax has

its way. Its ear plugs are custom fi t for individual users and then tested

using a specially designed computer program. Sonomax says it’s a simple

process that takes just a few minutes and on-site visits are possible.

The SR 500 EX fan has been developed by Sundström as

an alternative to fi lter protections, particularly when the

work is intensive, hot or of long duration. It’s explosion

proof and specially adapted for use in an explosive

atmosphere. See www.srsafety.se for further details.

Having to put up with wet feet can be miserable but

footwear specialist Blue Steel has made it its mission to

ensure it’s a problem underground miners no longer

encounter. The company has designed a shoe that’s as

waterproof as a PVC wellington but with far greater ankle

support. The boots also feature space-age temperature

regulating technology to avoid the skin fungal problems

caused by hot and sweaty feet.

Komatsu has released the world’s fi rst hybrid (electro-hydraulic)

excavator. The 20-tonne PC200-8 Hybrid is powered using a newly

developed electronic motor to turn the upper structure, a power-

generation motor, a capacitor and a low-speed diesel engine.

Komatsu says it typically uses 25 per cent less fuel than the standard

PC2008, but during certain operations such as digging and slewing

it has achieved savings of up to 40 per cent. The hybrid excavator is

currently only sold in Japan but should be available to other markets

next year.

Komatsu hybrid excavator

KT

4

la

It

A

Il

w

Standard Sonomax hearing

protection pack

Hearing protection with acoustic

tube for radio communication gear

24 September 2008 | The Mining AdvocateQueensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference

Xstrata continuing to support the

Queensland Mining Industry Safety andHealth Conference

Th e Resin Bolt Timer is a tool to ensure consistent and safe operation of resin bolt installation at Xstrata Zinc’s George Fisher Mine (GFM). Th is very simple idea came from the identifi cation through route cause incident investigation during which it was recognised, taking into consideration all the distractions in an underground operating environment, that operator judgement is variable in estimating cycle times.

A resin bolt is a solid 2.4 metre long x 20 millimetre diameter threaded bolt. Th e resin cartridge is a two part epoxy mixture that forms a bonded layer between the resin bolt and the rock surface. Th e combination of bolt and resin cartridge is inserted in a drilled hole of a set length and diameter. Th e bolt is spun as it is inserted thereby mixing the resin. When the resin is set the bolt is tensioned against the rock surface supporting the ground.

Resin bolts require a fi xed process for their installation that is time critical. Th ere are two time critical aspects of the installation; Spin time and Hold (set) time. Spin time refers to the time required to spin and insert the bolt and resin cartridge in the drilled hole to mix the two chemicals that form the resin. Th e Hold time refers to how long the bolt must be held for the resin to set before the

Resin Bolt Timer innovation

bolt can be tensioned.Failure to comply with the

manufacturer’s instructions may result in inadequate mixing of the resin, over mixing of the resin, or inadequate set time. Any of these variables can result in poor ground support quality due to:

a) inadequate mixing, the catalyst and resin inadequately mixed causing a weaker than designed bond strength;

b) over mixing, causing the bonds formed by the chemical reaction to break causing a weaker than designed bond strength; or

c) Bolt being tensioned earlier than the designed set time causing the bolt to be pulled through the resin causing weaker than designed bond strength and shorter bolt installation length.

Th e idea of a Resin Bolt Timer was developed within the GFM Operations Team and

was designed and constructed

by the Xstrata Zinc Electrical

Engineering Team.

Th e Resin Bolt Timer is not

much larger than a mobile phone

and consists of a button which

when pressed illuminates three

light emitting diodes (LED’s) in

sequence. Th e fi rst timed LED

provides the correct time for

the “Spin” or installation phase

of the cycle. Th e second “Hold”

cycle allows for the resin to “Set”

and the third or “Next” confi rms

when the operator can tension

the bolt and thereby complete the

installation and move onto the

next task.

Th e resin bolt timers have been

fi tted in all Jumbo operating

cabins within the mine and they

are sighted in the operator’s fi eld

of vision when bolting. Th e

operator simply pushes the button

once when he is ready to begin

the “Spin” cycle and then follows

the LED prompts. Should the cycle not commence after pushing the button, the Operator simply pushes the button again to reset the sequence.

Since the introduction of the Resin Bolt Timer at GFM, Xstrata believes resin bolt installation has improved at the mine due to a reduction in variables of resin bolt installation by removing a “Human Factor” and thereby improving resin bolt installation Quality Assurance Quality Control (QAQC).

Supporting this is the audited visual evidence of the correct length of bolt protruding from hole collars at the end of installation and that no resin bolts have failed the scheduled monthly pull-tests regime.

Th e device does not negate the need for correct training or supervision however it assists the operator by eliminating judgement from the task.

Th e device can be used in all mines using resin bolts and can be manufactured and installed at minimal cost.

Th e Resin Bolt Timer can be adjusted internally to allow for varying OEM specifi cations and resin requirements to be complied with.

With the above in mind the device can also be used in other applications where timing is critical.

The operator only presses the button

once. The unit is mounted in the

operators fi eld of vision when bolting.

25The Mining Advocate | September 2008 Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference

A record 670 delegates

attended the recent

Queensland Mining

Industry Health and

Safety Conference at the

Townsville Entertainment

and Convention Centre.

Th e event theme,

“Breaking New Ground”,

was designed to refl ect the

fact that as the industry’s

injury rate continues to

fall, the innovation and

commitment needed to

sustain this downward trend

increases.

In addition to keynote

speakers and the

presentation of technical

papers, the conference

once again featured

an innovations award

competition, hosted by

James O’Loghlin from

the ABC’ s New Inventors

program.

A safety consultant provided

a touch of iconoclasm at

this year’s Queensland

Mining Industry Health and

Safety Conference when he

questioned the common goal of

“zero harm”.

SAFEmap International

chief executive offi cer Corrie

Pitzer said the average mining

industry employee did not

believe that operations would

ever reach the point where

workers did not suff er any

bumps or scratches.

“We paint ourselves into a

corner all the time by making

‘zero’ a goal. We are doomed to

fail,” he said.

Mr Pitzer rejected the

motivational value of “zero

harm”, citing research that

indicated workers responded

more to the knowledge that

companies genuinely cared

about them than to set goals or

systems of safety rewards that

could inhibit the reporting of

bad news.

“All of my areas of breaking

new ground are about leading

with social values, not leading

with numbers or leading with

goals,” he said.

Mr Pitzer said the mining

industry had now reached

the point where workers were

being cocooned by a raft of

safety systems and procedures

on site.

Although these systems had

helped reduce accident levels, a

“cult of compliance” had arisen

that meant workers were not

as sharp in their behaviours as

they ought to be.

He said sites should now be

encouraging critical thought

and decision making by

individual workers at the point

of risk.

Mr Pitzer said all useful

activity in life contained risks

and the focus of safety systems

should be on the best ways of

managing risk rather than on

eliminating it.

Th e conference, now in

its 20th year, was hosted by

the Queensland Resources

Council, the Department

of Mines and Energy and

the mining unions (the

CFMEU and AWU).

Th e Mining Advocate was

on hand to report on the

event’s highlights.

Record-breaking

response

No real value in

‘zero harm’ line

THE AUSTRALIAN WORKERS' UNION:PUTTING MINERS' SAFETY FIRST

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Th e Ernest Henry mine’s submission to the innovation competition held in conjunction with this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference was a tool to manage the risk of airborne missiles.

Site representative Peter Barry told the conference that a concentrator mechanical maintenance team had identifi ed a potential hazard in the operation of the gyratory crusher.

Th e team members watched a video of a serious incident at an unnamed site in which a ground-engaging tool (GET) became stuck between the mantle and crusher body.

A technician was struck in the head when the foreign material ejected from the crusher at high velocity as it was being lanced.

Th e maintenance crew believed that the risk of a similar incident involving GET such as bucket teeth was present at the Ernest Henry operation and developed a safety-enhancing removal tool.

Th e tool, which resembles a many-pronged claw, is designed to slip over the moil of a mobile rock breaker.

When placed over a piece of GET stuck in the crusher, the prongs provide a physical barrier for the technician while allowing access for the lancing tool.

A new wave of “Star Wars”

technology is set to enhance

mining industry safety, according

to a consultant in the fi eld.

Safety Wise Solutions

managing director Gerry Gibb

said some new mining equipment

could be operated remotely - even

thousands of kilometres from site

- to allow operators to work from

safe locations. He said the mining

industry was able to benefi t from

the sort of remote operation

technology being used by NASA

for missions on the moon.

Mr Gibb said the equipment

would help attract Generation Y

to the industry.

A Qantas Airways manager has praised the mining industry’s occupational health and safety regime for being superior to that of the aviation industry.

Qantas Airways group general manager of occupational health and safety, Dr Graeme Peel, said the company had only become proactive in that area relatively recently after a poor record in the 1990s.

He said Qantas was then in the “almost schizophrenic” position of having world-best fl ight safety but little interest in occupational health and safety.

Dr Peel said the company had now adjusted its focus from injury claims management to incident prevention.

It had put in place an occupational health and safety management system, a behavioural safety program, performance measurement analysis and reporting procedures.

Automation was also benefi cial to an ageing workforce and improved the work of novice employees, he said.

Praise from air chief

Technology’s new wave

Gerry Gibb

Invention cuts work risks

The GET removal tool. Photo: Xstrata Copper Ernest Henry Mining.

27The Mining Advocate | September 2008 Queensland Mining Industry Health & Safety Conference

Mining companies with numerous sites should have a uniform set of safety values across the whole organisation, says Rio Tinto’s former senior advisor to the chief executive, Oscar Groeneveld.

Mr Groeneveld, who spoke at the Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference on his last day of work before retiring, said values needed to be aligned from the boardroom to the induction room.

He said having diff erent operations with separate standards in the same company was counter-productive because staff had to learn a new set of safety standards every time they transferred to a diff erent site.

“We went through quite a journey of standards because we had a very strong philosophy of decentralisation - we as miners have always prided ourselves on being able to operate in

remote locations and with local challenges, and to do it in the absence of any interference or input from head offi ce,” Mr Groeneveld said.

“We realised that by taking that approach we were wasting enormous resources in inventing and re-inventing standards and approaches, particularly in regards to safety, so we decided around the start of this decade that it had to stop.”

Mr Groeneveld chaired a sub-branch of the executive committee for fi ve years to bring safety values into alignment.

He said the inducting of site leaders to a common safety standard was identifi ed as the top priority but it was also the hardest task faced by the committee, because leaders generally thought their systems were already sound.

“It took us quite a while to get traction and momentum around

common standards - there was a fair bit of grumbling at having to re-work what were perfectly good existing standards at some of these locations,” he said.

As well as properly training site leaders, Mr Groeneveld said a company’s safety strategy should be centred on choosing the right assets.

He said Rio Tinto’s policy of putting employee safety fi rst had dissuaded it from entering

into mining activities in some emerging countries where the threat of gunfi re was too great, despite exciting exploration prospects.

On the other hand, Mr Groeneveld led the team to steer the recent merger of Rio Tinto Aluminium and Alcan, and he said he was confi dent all the way through that the Alcan culture could be quickly brought into alignment with Rio Tinto’s.

On a personal level, miners should keep a reasonable discipline in their lifestyles and maintain themselves in the same way as they maintained a company’s business assets, he said.

Mr Groeneveld said increased safety focus and resources were needed in small mining operations in Australia, although the industry was generally in a strong position regarding safety.

A retiring mining executive has highlighted

the pitfalls of allowing sites across a company

to maintain diff ering sets of safety values.

Oscar Groeneveld addresses the safety conference in Townsville. Photo: Stewart McLean

Uniform standards a must

One vision

The CFMEU is proud to

support the

in Townsville.

“The stronger the union, the safer the mine”

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A system to automatically start lighting plants at OZ Minerals Century Mine won this year’s Queensland Mining Industry Health and Safety Conference innovation award.

Lighting plants are used at the Century open-pit mine in the lower Gulf to allow employees to work safely at night in areas such as tip heads, shovels, intersections and corners.

Prior to the development of the system, the 45 lighting plants spread around Oz Minerals’ Century Mine were started manually each afternoon by staff in light vehicles.

Th e new system, operating on a timer, allows the plants to start automatically and reduces the risks of workers moving about the mine site close to heavy machinery, especially at dusk or at night when it is harder to see.

Th e system is also designed

to help avoid vehicle accidents, exposure to heat and dust, slips, trips, sprains and strains.

Beacons on top of each of the lighting plants are activated when a unit breaks down, making it easier to fi nd in the dark.

Th e innovation, which won both the judges’ and people’s choice awards, was steered by Century fi tter and electrician David McGrory.

Century mine also submitted a second innovation to the awards - a lifting tool for removing contactors from 830E electric haul trucks during maintenance.

Workers who removed the heavy contactors before the tool was developed were required to be hunched-over in a tight space, but the lightweight portable remover has now signifi cantly reduced manual handling risks by allowing the contactors to

be removed by workers in a standing position.

Century plant manager Rod Dugmore, who outlined the second initiative at the safety conference, said the operation had made innovation award submissions for the past three years.

He said Century mine did not necessarily set out to win safety awards but it did have a proactive workforce.

“Our people are clearly of the opinion that they should come up with innovations to reduce risk in the workplace,” he said.

“In recent years, innovations have been around this rather

than in response to incidents that had already occurred.

“We have workers come to us with ideas each year and, as a management team, we like to foster those.”

Century mine workers have a strong record

in developing their own practical solutions to

site safety issues, writes Michael Stevens.

MORE EFFICIENTAs well as improving safety,

Century mine’s lighting plant

auto-start system makes

savings of:

Up to 2.5 hours of excess

running time per day,

making an annual saving of

about 64,250 litres of diesel

- worth $96,375.

1460 hours of daily start-

up labour per year - worth

$131,400.

173,475kg of carbon

dioxide emissions.

Century fi tter and electrician David McGrory drove the development of a

lighting plant auto-start system.

A leading lightin innovations

THIS REGION IS:• One of the two largest base metals mining regions in the world.• Host to the world’s largest miners and processors including: Xstrata,

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Documents

September 2008