Surpac ebook

Leveraging Technology in Mining eBookGem com Sof tw the are w as July 3 201 DEXPE acqu ire R 2. I t is IENCE d by D now Leveraging Technology in Mining is a collection of 32 stories from around the world. The goal of this eBook is to provide unique insights into a C kno ompa ssault how companies big and small have made mining software a key to their success. It will show you how the users who drive these systems are n wn Sys as y, in tèm being empowered by them, using innovations such as workflow automation and data management to improve mining and personal productivity. GEO es, V IA. No matter your role in the mining industry, you will learn something that you can apply in your job or at your company. — Rick Moignard, President and CEO, Gemcom Software International Inc. Updated with 12 new stories. Now 73 pages! To learn more about the products featured in the customer stories, email [email protected] or visit 3ds.com/GEOVIA/products. The mining solutions you expect. From the people you trust. Table of Contents + Vi e w s t o r i e s b y c o m m o d i t y, c o u n t r y, m i n e t y p e a n d s o f t w a r e p r o d u c t . Geology and Mine Planning....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Etruscan Resources lowers mining costs while increasing gold reserves...............................................................................................................................................................................................2 Straits Resources improves decision making and cost control..............................................................................................................................................................................................................5 Mikhailovsky GOK simplifies complex grade control challenges............................................................................................................................................................................................................8 Northland Resources improves efficiency and optimises project economics.........................................................................................................................................................................................11 Rheinkalk GmbH automates 200 mining tasks..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................14 Shougang Mining Company achieves vision of improved competitiveness...........................................................................................................................................................................................17 IAMGOLD Corporation drives threefold mine expansion......................................................................................................................................................................................................................18 Centerra Gold’s collaborative solution for maximising efficiency and potential at Mongolia’s largest hard rock gold mine........................................................................................................................21 Shore Gold strengthens exploration programme with organisation-wide information sharing..................................................................................................................................................................24 Fronteer Development unfolds full potential of deposit with unique 3D visualisation and modelling software.........................................................................................................................................27 Eastern Goldfields leverages powerful tools to help find new deposits in old rocks..............................................................................................................................................................................30 Nordkalk Corporation doubles output with integrated solution for quality control and mine planning......................................................................................................................................................33 Voskhod-Oriel relies on geology and mine planning software to drive mining operations........................................................................................................................................................................36 Samarco drives productivity through better data management............................................................................................................................................................................................................37 Tiger Resources improves copper concentrate..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................38 AIMROC supports their Chovdar Gold Mine Project with effective data management and modelling.......................................................................................................................................................39 Copper Mountain brings back to life its Similco Mine.........................................................................................................................................................................................................................40 Geology and Mine Planning for Coal and other Stratified Deposits............................................................................................................................................................ 41 Carbones de Cerrejón accomplishes 178% increase in recovered coal................................................................................................................................................................................................42 Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Mine models complex geology, handing huge data volumes................................................................................................................................................................................45 Brush Resources fortifies mining operations with versatile end-to-end solution....................................................................................................................................................................................48 PT Bukit Asam drives business strategy...........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................51 Mine Scheduling..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 52 PT Petrosea saves millions of dollars across their contracts with improved scheduling capabilities.......................................................................................................................................................53 Python Mining Consultants solves optimisation problems by creating various design and scheduling scenarios....................................................................................................................................56 Adamus Resources solves scheduling constraints.............................................................................................................................................................................................................................57 Golden Star Resources drives mine scheduling improvements............................................................................................................................................................................................................58 Strategic Mine Planning......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 59 Rio Tinto standardises globally on strategic mine planning solution....................................................................................................................................................................................................60 Gold Fields Ghana improves cash flow at Tarkwa Operation................................................................................................................................................................................................................63 Block Caving.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 64 De Beers improves decision-making and productivity..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................65 Mine Production Management................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 68 Centerra Gold improves mine production management at its Boroo gold mining operation....................................................................................................................................................................69 Minara Resources improves cost-effectiveness and forecasting at Fly-in Fly-out operation....................................................................................................................................................................70 Educational Instututions......................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 71 Mining Education Australia incorporates software and training into curriculum....................................................................................................................................................................................72 University of the Witwatersrand School of Mining Engineering prepares students for the workforce......................................................................................................................................................73 Story Gemcom Product(s) Mine Type Commodity Country 2 5 Geology and Mine Planning Page 1 Etruscan Resources Surpac, Whittle, MineSched Open pit Gold Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Namibia, Niger Straits Resources Surpac Open pit, underground Gold, copper, bulk commodities Australia, Indonesia, Singapore Mikhailovsky GOK Surpac Open pit Iron ore Russia Northland Resources Surpac, Whittle, MineSched Open pit, underground Iron ore, gold, copper Finland, Sweden 11 Rheinkalk GmbH Surpac, MineSched Quarry Limestone Belgium, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany 14 8 Shougang Mining Company Surpac Open pit Iron ore China 17 IAMGOLD Corporation GEMS, Whittle Open pit Gold Botswana, Canada, Ecuador, Ghana, Mali, Suriname 18 Centerra Gold GEMS, Whittle Open pit Gold Canada, Kyrgz Republic, Mongolia, United States 21 Shore Gold GEMS Exploration, underground, development Diamonds Canada 24 Fronteer Development GEMS Exploration, development Gold, copper, uranium Canada, Turkey, United States 27 Eastern Goldfields GEMS Exploration, open pit, underground Gold South Africa 30 Nordkalk Corporation GEMS Quarry Limestone Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden 33 Voskhod-Oriel Surpac Underground Chromite Kazakhstan 36 Samarco GEMS Open pit Iron ore Brazil 37 Tiger Resources Surpac Open pit Copper Democratic Republic of the Congo 38 AIMROC GEMS Open pit Gold Azerbaijan 39 Copper Mountain GEMS, Whittle Open pit Copper Canada 40 Geology and Mine Planning for Coal and other Stratified Deposits 41 Carbones de Cerrejón Minex Open pit Coal Colombia 42 Exxaro Minex Open pit Coal South Africa 45 Brush Resources Minex Open pit Beryllium United States 48 PT Bukit Asam Minex Open pit Coal Indonesia Mine Scheduling 51 52 PT Petrosea MineSched, Surpac Open pit Coal Indonesia 53 Python Mining Consultants MineSched, Surpac Open pit, underground All commodities Canada 56 Adamus Resources MineSched Open pit Gold Ghana 57 Golden Star Resources MineSched Open pit Gold South Africa Strategic Mine Planning Rio Tinto Whittle Open pit Copper, diamonds, borates, aluminum, iron ore Australia, Canada, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Namibia, Peru, United States Gold Fields Ghana Whittle, Surpac Open pit Gold Ghana Block Caving De Beers 58 59 60 63 64 PCBC, GEMS Block caving Diamonds South Africa Mine Production Management 65 68 Centerra Gold InSite Open pit Gold Mongolia 69 Minara Resources InSite Open pit Nickel, cobalt Australia 70 Minex University Coal Australia 72 University All commodities South Africa 73 Educational Institutions Mining Education Australia 71 University of the Witwatersrand GEMS, Whittle + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Geology and Mine Planning Voskhod 1 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . 000 in consulting fees for 1-2 pit optimisations. Business Benefits: Reduced mining department costs by 3 percent over the past year. Approach: Leverage Gemcom Surpac™. “Through the synergies. and Surpac. and National Instrument 43-101 compliance. Streamlined data flows. and seamless integration of MineSched. IT Improvements: Automation of manual steps and grade control management. data validation. Senior Mine Planning Engineer. increases gold reserves and derives efficiencies using synergistic Gemcom solution Mining staff saves 2. Tools for accurate resource estimations.2 million tonnes in six months. saving nearly 2. Mali. Increased ore reserves by 1. Frees up time and personnel for other tasks.” — Samuel Takyi.500 labour hours per year. consolidated data. Enables maximum ore recovery in line with projected costs. Integrated. Gemcom Whittle™. Whittle. . Côte d’Ivoire. Saves $30. Etruscan Resources Inc.Etruscan lowers mining costs. Mitigates double the number of staff needed for data management. Our mining department costs were 3 percent lower over the past year. functionality. Ghana. 2 LEVERAGING gemcom Customer TECHNOLOGY Case IN study MINING e-book ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s CIL process plant. and Gemcom MineSched™ software for better mining performance and lower operational costs. Namibia. Niger Objective: Establish an effective grade control system to obtain maximum value from mine development projects.500 hours annually in grade control management and reporting Countries: Burkina Faso. we are reducing unit costs as our gold output multiplies. and the surveyors conduct their estimations—all in Surpac. lay out drillholes and their colours. “We must have good geological models and know exactly where to mine. the various mining processes and activities within and across departments are efficient and well coordinated because of consistent. It drastically cuts down on time spent on office tasks to follow up on other jobs in the field. extract the sampling database and benches for reports of each mining block. a company representative visited Gemcom’s office in Ghana to witness Surpac in actual production environments. and mineral-free digging areas exist.” says Takyi. “Surpac’s TCL script automation feature is adaptable. I actually prefer Surpac over Datamine because it’s more userfriendly and offers me more flexible. Grade control automation scripts save time Using Surpac’s scripting capabilities that automate mining tasks. and train the staff. material separation for optimal recovery and stringent grade control. etruscan. the Youga Gold Mine also requires maximum pit optimisation and strict cost containment. our users enjoy using the package. planning and surveying departments. engaged user base.” A market-leading position Burkina close-up. Etruscan must mine the most profitable pit at the right time.6-year mine life. but with the automated scripts. Canada-based Etruscan Resources Inc. The software helps them maintain. The pits are set to render certain gold prices.com) holds one of the largest strategic land positions in West Africa covering in excess of 13. Satisfied with the results. With an initial 6.” Crushed ore stockpile. 3D tools express accurate results and allow Etruscan geologists to build representative models of the orebodies. To ensure the software would meet their requirements. Gemcom tailored grade control functions to the needs of the Youga operations. the help documents are detailed. 3 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Etruscan takes a proactive approach to technology usage by periodically requesting an onsite audit from Gemcom to gauge whether they are applying the software properly and to the fullest extent. establish and interpret their results accurately. Etruscan engineers investigated Gemcom because it enjoys a large. Senior Mine Planning Engineer for Etruscan.” Takyi says. The junior mining company (www. Etruscan hired Gemcom to install the software. Mining occurs in five open pits with ore processing though a conventional carbon-in-leach (CIL) gravity plant with a design capacity of 1 million tonnes per annum. import/export data. Faso management evaluated software to assist their geology. Faced with fluctuating prices that advance amid economic uncertainty or retreat during lower demand. Therefore.” admits Samuel Takyi. clearer functionality. “We contact Gemcom anytime it is necessary. These audits enhance the staff’s efficiency. They have helped us tremendously. and create models for interpretation. self-explanatory and easily answer their questions.” Takyi explains. All of the pits contain hard-rock (ore and waste) material. “Gemcom provided excellent training so that everyone was able to learn Surpac quickly. For example. To create drillholes and import data manually would take a huge amount of time. “For new users training onsite. which makes it easy for me to write various scripts to automate almost all my planning functions. “There is much designing and planning work in comparing the benches and determining the ore amount and quality. In fact. “Grade control scripts in Surpac adapt with our mining sequences and work per fectly. Verifiable data boosts efficiency Commercial production at the Youga Gold Mine extends to the southwest into Ghana along the Bole-Bolgatanga gold belt.” Takyi says. (TSX: EET) has explored for gold and diamonds in Africa for more than 13 years. When Etruscan started feasibility studies at Youga. verifiable data in Surpac and its pragmatic features. “After extensive evaluation. we concluded Surpac was a more comprehensive system to achieve these goals than Datamine. one of its principal mine development projects in Burkina. Datamine. Surpac gives us a clear picture of our reserves and a high degree of certainty for our decisions. the engineers plan and design them.000 square kilometres of several prolific gold belts. and leadership position in Ghana. customise the grade control module. The zones necessitate various blasting processes. He saw that Surpac would provide compelling features compared to other competitors.A prolific gold and diamond explorer Nova Scotia. we can run models . Micromine and several other providers. Gemcom also responds to Etruscan’s inquiries and provides technical support regularly. mid-sized operation comprised weathered and oxidised zones with a sulfide zone beneath them. Feasibility studies revealed that the remote. Etruscan’s geologists develop geological and grade control models for these pits. Etruscan assessed Gemcom’s software. The software’s automation features allow the staff to update their resource models daily. “Whittle helped us extend our bench across the orebody and come up with new cash flows. Whittle is extending Youga’s life-ofmine horizon. “We can design our reports based on what we need and thus protect our production in terms of size. The average forecast monthly gold production over the life of mine was 6. Uniquely synergistic solution helps reduce mining costs Etruscan considers MineSched one of the most powerful scheduling tools in the industry. and determine mining strategies. Moreover. We have increased our ore reserves by more than 1.” Determining mine strategies to increase profits Two additional Gemcom software systems used with Surpac afford an all-encompassing solution that boosts profitability and delivers economies of scale. Solutions at a Glance Primary Application: Gemcom Surpac Gemcom Whittle Gemcom MineSched Gemcom Services: Software implementation Automation services Training Technical support In summary.700 ounces per month. “We only need three people because of Surpac. but we execute those onsite in Whittle.” Takyi concludes. it would more than double the number of people on staff. locations.” Consequently. software’s polygon scheduling function for short-term planning. Company personnel use the 4 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Gold pour. If we were managing the database manually or with different software. and we expect extra years of production from the Youga mine. work shifts.” Takyi says. Feed conveyor to grinding mill. the software enables a small Etruscan staff to manage an escalating amount of data for grade control. the functional qualities and seamless integration of MineSched. The reporting features. Whittle. In fact.2 million tonnes in six months. “We cannot accomplish planning or selective mining without these Gemcom programs.” he says. and they develop projected cash flow reports using MineSched. and ability to run different scenarios in 3D to get better cash flow options. Without Surpac’s automated features.and drill patterns in five minutes—depending on the drill patterns and schedules. are major advantages of MineSched compared to other scheduling programs like Mine2-4D. Surpac provides good results. build operating cost histories. allowing the staff to examine various pit shapes and limits. “We are constantly changing our parameters to optimise our gold. The software’s interface enables reports based on cash flow. the Youga mine reached design throughput exceeding 7. The company notes that this synergistic Gemcom solution is helping its personnel lower unit costs as gold output multiplies.” he confirms. The software runs various scenarios and presents data in various file formats that are useful in reserve comparisons. the same tasks and reports would take 48 hours a week.000 ounces per month within five months of startup.” Takyi maintains. Thanks to Gemcom software. we are improving our ounces. the Youga operation is getting better and gaining production efficiency. . and resources. interfaces with other programs.000 in consulting fees. He also notes that Etruscan teams have improved Youga’s mining parameters by leveraging the software’s flexibility and functionality. Without Surpac—with its data storage provision and ability to interface with many common formats for importing and exporting grade control data—more personnel would be required. excavating. From bench to bench. “Creating one or two pit shapes and the associated reports would cost about $30. and Surpac are working together in an exemplary fashion to help transform Etruscan’s bottom line. Takyi acknowledges that scheduling multiple mining benches and developing life-of-mine (LOM) plans are easy to accomplish. merging actual numbers and operational parameters from Surpac block models into Whittle pit optimisations onsite mitigates the need to hire additional consultants. grade attributes. Etruscan Resources Inc. and improving grades. A LOM plan can be completed in eight hours versus 40 hours manually. Straits Resources improves decision making and controls costs Countries: Australia. Straits Resources Limited IT Improvements: Staff training and local support. “With skilled technical mining staff in short supply. time-saving tool for managing complex iterations of multiple calculations. while allowing for future system extensibility and staff skills enhancement. Monetary savings by refining staff requirements. Indonesia. Cost reduction in delivering commodities to market. Approach: Selected Gemcom to provide all staff with the software tools. training and support services they need to perform their jobs as effectively as possible today. Increased resource base at all operations.Diversified mining company extracts benefits from Gemcom Surpac™ at its sites Using Gemcom software. Data integration from multiple systems into a common operating platform. surveying and engineering functions through a common platform used by key mining professionals at Straits Resources. Singapore Objective: Ensure efficient mine production by integrating geological. Business Benefits: Improved decision making. and with varying experience with mining software in different geographies. System ease of use addresses skills shortages by allowing staff to be trained faster. Effective.” — Chris Ramsay. Instantaneous inclusion of information from other core data packages. we have chosen to standardise on Surpac across our operations and mining disciplines because of the system’s renowned reputation for ease of use. 5 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Tritton Processing Plant. . Geologist. The Perth-based producer also has gold and coal operations in Indonesia. Three years ago. copper and bulk commodities sectors. the Gemcom software instantly includes information from other core data systems. “We have a wide range of projects.” When needed. Plus. As a result of its investment. Straits has gained more efficiency through decision making support capabilities.” he says. Stripping overburden (Sebuku). French. Ramsay says that Surpac surpasses them all: “They are no substitutes for Surpac. the company can leverage the most current information to save operational costs. surveying and engineering. so we chose software that applies to all of our mining environments.000 a day. German. Surpac is the company’s primary data manipulation. Straits teams are able to view data from various IT systems with the software’s Data Plug-in modules and incorporate this information into their planning. the company has 30 Surpac installations and utilises Gemcom’s training and technical support services. You can easily translate data into Surpac’s data structure.com. Straits required comprehensive technology to use at all of its sites. With open pit and underground projects.” Better decision making Although other competitive systems are available. “In any of the packages that we have. “and the representation of that information spatially is critical in correctly estimating what is in the ground. multidisciplinary approach and a local support network. 6 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s “Without Surpac. “In some of the mining operations we might spend from $500 to $500. Straits Resources Limited focuses on acquiring and developing assets within the gold. Straits ultimately adopted Gemcom’s Surpac software to support resource modelling and mine planning functions. By employing Surpac. The software conveys information to them in visual ways that enhance their understanding of mining operations. Alternative sources of data convert well into a Surpac readable file.” For example. Same software−different mining functions Surpac brings efficiencies.Diverse producer − diverse project pipeline Founded in 1992 and listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in 1994. Surpac strengthens our level of comfort when we are making the right decisions to achieve high value results. which enabled the company to reduce the cost of delivering commodities to the market.” Ramsay says.” Ramsay says. who has personally depended on the software since 1998. Straits (www. the company’s engineers count on Surpac to provide three-dimensional (3D) designs and calculations and to manage grade control and resource inventories. we transfer geographic or 3D information back and forth into Surpac very easily. our work would take longer. For presenting data in mine and exploration geology. the engineering and surveying areas would also need vastly different human resources structures. ease of use and flexibility to three mining disciplines at Straits: geology. “We gain a lot of power from the scripting/macro. Straits has been able to manage an increasing resource base at all its operations: Straits surveyors use Surpac for volume calculation. Straits spent significant time reviewing several mine planning systems to find an affordable.are available to support users at Straits locations globally. He also notes that Straits engaged with Gemcom to obtain responsive technical support.”It is also a smooth process to program certain management processes using the software’s scripting/macro capabilities.au) is one of the few mining entities based in Western Australia with such a well diversified group of assets. In addition. the software’s six language options . and package translations are available “at the touch of a button. “We gather sparse information that is very expensive to come by. as well as bulk commodities.English. “To a lesser extent. Today.” Ramsay notes. In fact. Chinese and Russian . This feature helps Straits keep its stakeholders informed about key decisions related to production. . so instantaneous refining of information is critical to cost savings. and even non-mining professionals involved in Straits’ financial activities benefit.” says Chris Ramsay.” says Ramsay.” A wealth of features Surpac’s integration with the company’s 3 GIS and 3D mining applications is outstanding. the 3D visualization of ore body and block models is helpful to Straits geologists who create models to bring about multi-billion dollar results and assist in making wise decisions about Straits’ mining operations. Geologist for Straits. “Surpac’s representation of geographic information in a text file is extremely simple. and we would need significant numbers of extra people in my area alone. Spanish. volume calculation and grade control system. That’s the clear advantage in using Surpac software.straits. resource modelling and estimation. Ramsay believes that having a technical innovator like Gemcom behind Surpac− with vision. selected for their in-depth mining knowledge and industry experience. industr y stature. “With Gemcom as our partner. Gold pour (Mt. skills and project knowledge across the company in a consistent way. Straits Resources Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: 30 Gemcom Surpac resource modelling and mine planning systems Approximately 3 GIS and 3D mining applications Gemcom Services: On-site training Technical support Training and attracting skilled professionals In establishing Surpac software as its standard technical tool. 7 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s .” Ramsay says. Gemcom provides a greater level of funding and programming support behind this product. Environmental assessment (Sebuku). attracting skilled practitioners to Straits is somewhat easier. If the company’s operations needs change. This also enables us to manage training in a collective way.Technology attuned to growth Straits’ growth has prompted it to expand Surpac usage as its workforce increases for a particular project. As a shortage of skills continues to plague the resources industry.” Ramsay concludes. “At our Perth headquarters. “Because Surpac has a dominant share of the industry in this region. Straits empowers its personnel to share data. Implementing another system into an active environment is as simple and quick as copying files onto the company’s work station. Muro). we see being able to expand our solution as our operations needs change in the organization. plus development and professional resources−will further enhance the software’s functionality and extensibility going for ward. Straits commands a competitive edge in the labour market.” says Ramsay. global reach. Straits takes advantage of Gemcom’s strong base of skilled trainers. we’re very happy with Surpac.” says Ramsay. stemming in part from its use of Surpac. “Gemcom’s training and technical support services are excellent. Right now. we have one format for dealing with any information that comes in centrally. the company’s technical support services play an important role in Strait’s decision to continue with Surpac. In addition. Easy data access at all management levels. Consolidation of process steps for engineering support. Availability of technical support and training expertise locally. we considered the price of other software and the availability of the necessary geology and engineering modules. Improvement in the quality of planning. ensuring investment is never out of date. Chief Miner. Reduction in time spent on labour-intensive projects.Mikhailovsky GOK uses Gemcom Surpac™ to simplify complex grade control challenges Russian iron ore producer boosts the quality of planning work and assessments Countries: Russia Objective: Support engineering activities for iron ore mining. More reliable projections and decisions. Mikhailovsky Mining and Processing Integrated Works 8 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Panorama of the Mikhailovsky pit. Reduced complexity derived from Surpac’s interfaces with third-party software. All other vendor products did not satisfy our needs compared to Gemcom and its Surpac solution. “In making our buying decision. IT Improvements: Automation of routine tasks via macros. . Higher staff efficiency. which met all of our rigorous criteria. Approach: Implement the Gemcom Surpac mining software system to increase mine production and overcome technical issues. maintenance and future development. Business Benefits: Sharing of information and project knowledge. Gemcom software updates.” — Alexander Tsukerman. The company is headquartered in Zheleznogorsk Town in the Kurskay Region of Russia and is owned by Metallinvest. The company needed a solution to help estimate the granulometric composition of the blasted ore. Surveyors at work. the staff stored database entries in Paradox. they let us know about how other companies are successfully using Gemcom solutions and the future direction for Surpac. Limited data access restricted the company’s ability to generate reports promptly or lengthened the time in providing comprehensive information to outside project design/ planning companies. they have such positive attitudes and are extremely responsive to our inquiries. Plus. FoxPro and other formats. “Gemcom’s Russian-speaking personnel give us outstanding technical support. Smoother. first-rate software Those objectives were difficult to achieve with the software they were using.” explains Tsukerman. databases or individual computers across the enterprise. The system can retrieve archived information about production parameters and analytical data. it was impossible to produce the calculation or optimisation. Instead of tr ying to locate data residing in numerous silos. Even when the paper copies were uploaded to a digital format for processing and printing. Chinese. including an antiquated survey module that had no function for modelling solids. which saves staff time. They also used a competitor’s software to complete their resource models and track blasthole sampling data.The world’s largest iron ore reserves At more than 11 billion tonnes. German and Spanish). We also considered the software company’s pricing policy. Years ago. and with up to 40 ore faces being mined simultaneously.” Tsukerman says. Founded in 1957.metinvest. and it is great to know that Gemcom invests in product updates and improvements. technical support and attitude towards their clients. 9 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Mikhailovsky chose the Surpac software as Gemcom has expertise. control blasting quality and even better. engineers and surveyors exchange data and share project knowledge in standard Surpac formats. Mikhailovsky staff used in-house software to manage mining data and plan ore production quality and sur veying.” Fast-tracking analysis and auditing Since 2004. In addition. Poland. Slovakia. This largescale mine has 69 years of life in the projected outlines of the primar y ore. Iron content in high-grade ore reaches 54 percent.6 kilometres. The lack of uniformity caused ambiguity. “We required value-oriented. “Consequently. employees now go to a single resource. the competitor’s software could not keep up with increasingly complex challenges. the sub-blocking feature was limited: if the block model had a different size. In turn. first-rate software capable of helping us increase production and resolve routine mining issues. At the top of our list was to partner with a company that had a Russian office and Russian-speaking personnel. Mikhailovsky GOK (www.8 kilometres and its width is 2. including 21 percent of magnetic iron. it is a fairly complicated operation. Value-oriented. French. com) annually produces more than 19 million tonnes of iron ore and exports its high-quality products to Austria. Mikhailovsky Mining and Processing Integrated Works (Mikhailovsky GOK) has the world’s largest iron ore reserves. In addition. Romania. In the years before Surpac. The Kurskaya magnetic anomaly is Mikhailovsky’s main iron ore source. this iron ore producer has relied on Surpac to assemble 3D models of oxidised quartzites and carbonaceous ore.” Tsukerman says. “Now Mikhailovsky geologists. we have a great environment for our professionals to collaborate together efficiently and establishing Surpac as our standard planning tool makes it easier to transfer skills between departments or across our operations when necessary. Its size presents grade control challenges. Chief Miner of the company. we give them feedback about new features we would like to see in the software. Its depth in the closed outlines is 320 metres. Ukraine and China. its sur face length is 5. risk and confusion regarding information management. Surpac supports long-term and routine mine . the Czech Republic. We enjoy working with their staff. training and top-notch technical support in the country. faster work flow Before adopting Surpac. The time came for Mikhailovsky to find another solution. Mikhailovsky personnel accomplished open pit designs and mine plans manually. The Surpac solution aggregates data about all company depar tments into an allinclusive information system for quick access and reference. Of particular benefit to Mikhailovsky was the fact that Gemcom’s Russian distributor provided training and implemented the Russian-language version of the software (which is also available in English. the company still experienced accuracy and validation issues. As Mikhailovsky’s operations expanded over time. while low-grade iron ore content averages 40 percent. to increase mine production and investments. Another helpful advantage of the software is its integration with a number of third-party programs. Surpac links to a Microsoft SQL Server database comprising approximately 3.000 blast drillholes. allowing the staff to create reliable calculations for ramp designs. rock excavations.000 exploration. They wrote macros to automate diagram maps. . “Within our one. We’ve consolidated a wide range of process steps for engineering support of pit operations. modelling and database components – underpins these analyses by conveying mining illustrations in an easy-tounderstand format that even non-technical persons can grasp. pre-stripping. development and 120. Just as importantly. Geologists create and compute blasthole sampling charts with a special macro. Macros automate tasks Mikhailovsky utilises Surpac’s macro scripting features to speed up data processing. such as AutoCAD.” Tsukerman says.000 holes annually for blasting. Mikhailovsky’s development drillholes identify some 40 qualitative variables. With so much critical information at stake. mineralogical groups and rock titles. the company can’t afford to have any of it compromised or lost.” according to Tsukerman. well-integrated software package resides a huge amount of useful information to conduct complex analyses. company geologists use Surpac block models to estimate quality parameters in outlined ore bodies. To overcome their grade control issues. but samples every third hole. We are very pleased with Surpac’s features and results. The company drills 25. the information is readily available for reconciliation and audits. They organised a planning macro that allows low-grade ore calculations along horizons to evaluate losses and ore dilution. “Surpac provides a variety of tools which enable us to automate planning and production control. Surpac’s 3D imagery – linked with the software’s design. “This aspect makes data importing or exporting less cumbersome and simplifies survey work. ore production volumes and grade control. Mikhailovsky GOK Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom Surpac Microsoft SQL Server AutoCAD Gemcom Services: Software implementation Training Technical support Safety for sizable data volumes Only a powerful software package can handle the vast amount of data and drillhole statistics that Mikhailovsky maintains. If there is an information request from an external auditor. Surpac is a strong aid in plotting transportation routes. we provide it in a Surpac format. Rehandling of ore – a temporary stockpile is made. bench slopes. Every month geologists incorporate newly acquired data from blasthole sampling into the upgraded block model. display additional attributes to a block model and reveal cross-sections in real linear parameters. Our general planning contractor even purchased Surpac after learning about our positive experiences.” Tsukerman concludes. Surpac provides a means of safely preserving massive volumes of data and the scalability to accommodate even more.” Tsukerman comments. The company processes thousands of grade control holes. Another macro was developed to automate printing projects.planning. ore mining and dump designs. 10 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Pellet production facilities – the best in the Russian Federation. which are entered in a database for future reference. “Surpac helps us quickly and easily carry out internal auditing work in accordance with planning directions. and cut and fills. “We deferred a bulk sampling expenditure of $500.Northland Resources improves efficiency and optimises project economics with Gemcom solution Engineering staff uses Gemcom SurpacTM. More time spent on geological interpretations. pit optimisation and scheduling results. Inter faces with third-par ty software. Approach: Adopt Surpac. Sweden. IT Improvements: Synergistic tools merging block modelling. Northland Resources Inc. WhittleTM and MineSchedTM to reduce consulting costs and defer CAPEX spending Countries: Finland. Higher staff productivity. Senior Manager of Engineering.” — Matt Blattman. Whittle and MineSched software to gain efficiencies and lower costs. eliminating file conversions and saving a workday. saving several weeks of manual input. We obtained much of the same information as if we had completed a bulk sample. so there was no immediate need to excavate. Faster estimation of multiple block modelling routines (15 minutes vs 2 hours). Greater ability to address skills shortage. Business Benefits: Cost savings by hiring fewer consultants.000 to $1 million by applying drillhole data and conducting statistical analysis using the Surpac database. build a dike or obtain environmental permits. Up to $1 million deferred in upfront capital expenditures. 11 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Portal of the bulk sample drift at Stora Sahavaara. Automated workflows. Quick report generation in standard formats. Sweden Objective: Obtain a solution to aid engineering studies and metallurgical testing and accelerate mineral ore production. . and Hannukainen in Kolari. after a consultant drilled underneath a swamp in the Tapuli mine to collect samples and determine . “Being able to read almost any data format the consultants generate makes my job a lot easier.com) is implementing a staged development of its Tapuli iron ore project. Blattman finds Surpac helpful for initial resource calculations and for viewing data from various sources. superior interfaces with third-party software. Whittle and MineSched software to support these efforts and future mineral production. Finland−and is performing preliminary engineering to acquire environmental permits for all three mines. They wanted the software to fit certain criteria: outstanding functionality. Surpac is powerful in these areas. This is key during engineering planning whereby outside consultants are handling the bulk of Northland’s work.” says Matt Blattman. Both consultants delivered their reports in different formats. We obtained consensus within an hour because management could visualise and understand the excavation method. management decided to evaluate other solutions. geological interpretations and plotting drillhole maps.” he says. the Northland staff encounters no file conversion issues. another has iron and gold.” Strong justification for decisions Portal preparations for the bulk sample drift at Stora Sahavaara. “We were pleased with the on-site Surpac training. Northland relies on the Surpac. I am delighted that we chose Gemcom because I have used Surpac for nearly 15 years. and our staff found the software easy to learn.” Blattman affirms. In northern Sweden. Gemcom distributor WSP Finland provided training for Nor thland geologists. Northland Resources Inc. Although they provide reports and maps in various GIS and AutoCAD formats. Tapuli has the potential to produce up to 3 million tonnes per annum of high-grade iron concentrate and fuel other key company projects. who recently joined the company and conducted the software implementation. “In 30 minutes I combined the photos of the surface with the digital terrain model from another consultant and the mine designs from a third consultant to get a comprehensive 3D picture. “Gemcom met all of the company’s requirements and provided a Finnish distributor. (TSX: NAU. “We believe that software with widespread usage helps our company overcome skill shor tages. For example. Northland completed basic exploration on two other magnetite projects−Stora Sahavaraa in Pajala. Blattman tells how he resolved the issue. because it interfaces with third-party software and communicates across systems. where it is advancing its goal to become Europe’s largest independent.Fast-tracking mine production In Sweden and Finland. and a third comprises iron. strong technical support and an extensive global user network. An example is when the staff was determining the right place to test a bulk sample at Hannukainen and process the material. The company selected Gemcom’s software over MineSight. domestic iron ore producer. One mine contains mainly iron.” Blattman says. Sweden. The company also required access to support personnel in the same time zone. 12 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s The geology department primarily uses Surpac for block modelling. the staff uses the consultants’ data integrated into Surpac for more analyses – omitting the need for another consultant. When the main user left the company. greatly improves our efficiency. Excellent visualisation tools clarify assumptions The software helps to cr ystallise facts and assumptions that may be unclear to others in the organisation. The company began detailed engineering studies to generate technical data and accelerate the key property to production. which made it difficult to understand how the reports inter faced.northlandresourcesinc. which it had purchased sometime ago for geological modelling because few staff members were skilled in using MineSight. Along with the Tapuli studies. Sweden. Senior Manager of Engineering. gold and copper. Northland Resources (www. It reduces our dependence on consultants and enables us to compete for skilled mining professionals in a tight labour market. There were no more competing ideas because the facts were visible in Surpac. Lower operational costs and CAPEX requirements When access to capital is difficult or limited. The company hired one consultant to identify the sample area and a second consultant to figure out the best way to excavate it. “Being able to process other people’s data quickly and make my own assumptions. companies must seek ways to lower their upfront capital expenditures (CAPEX). As a result. If the company decides to pursue another option. Publicly traded Northland Resources is reducing initial CAPEX outlays through improved engineering design and prudent planning.” Blattman says. Oslo: NAUR) controls one of the continent’s last major undeveloped iron ore provinces. there were questions about the sample environment and excavation. This script helps geologists modify.” Blattman says. we didn’t need to hire another consultant. it has comprehensive Gemcom tools that work together optimally and promote high productivity. “We make decisions from the Whittle optimisations and incorporate the 13 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Image showing the Tapuli. Streamlined. which will take us from engineering planning to mining. One of the customised macros enables block models to be coded according to geology types. we are confident the software will deliver even greater value during production. Blattman created macros that ease the plotting of drillhole cross-section maps and organise them into standard report formats. I’ve turned a two-hour process into a 15-minute exercise. “We implemented a superior suite of Gemcom solutions at the very start. For example. the team deferred a large bulk sampling expenditure of up to $1 million by applying Surpac drillhole data to determine there was no immediate need to excavate. The planning staff will be able to schedule from the models that originated in Surpac. created a feasible mine design and calculated the amount of material to be removed during mining. “By writing a Surpac script. Sweden drillholes. freeing Northland Resources personnel to concentrate more on their interpretations and less on keying in repetitive data. automated workflows Automation capabilities in Surpac drive higher staff productivity.” Blattman concludes. Through automation. “Our idea was to bring in MineSched to automate some of the target blending.” he states. Advanced scripts accelerate multiple estimation routines in block modelling and eliminate the need to enter each command manually. This macro saves several weeks’ worth of work. grade domains and conceptual pit design.” Blattman explains. By using the same data in a different way. . change or reinterpret complex polygons and allows them to be reproduced almost instantaneously in a standard reporting format. “I turned the consultant’s report into 3D renderings in Surpac to determine the groundwater impact. “We have drawn approximately 2. and generalised mineralised zones. Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom Surpac Gemcom Whittle Gemcom MineSched Gemcom Services: Training Technical support As Northland prepares to supply iron. and easily validate the schedules. Blattman found a cost-effective use for the same data. the planning team will merge the Surpac and Whittle results into Gemcom’s MineSched scheduling software. On another occasion.000 polygons and to create a lot of detail manually would bring logic issues into play and cause confusion. surface topography and orthophotos. gold and copper to Europe’s demanding metal markets.” Blattman says. we can manipulate the data the way we want to handle it.water quality. Northland Resources Inc. thus saving time and preventing data input errors. perform alternative ‘what-ifs’ to achieve a specific goal. One misstep or typing error along the way and we wouldn’t know about it until it’s too late.” Blattman says. Exploration drilling. MineSched will afford proven tools to achieve precise blending targets on multiple elements and to meet processing specifications. build a dike or obtain permits. Based on their performance to date. When mining ramps up and data accumulates. Merging operations through a comprehensive software suite Northland pairs Surpac with the Whittle pit optimisation system to understand and verify the consultants’ results. data into reserve statements to inform shareholders of the potential value of the company’s mines. Germany.Rheinkalk GmbH drives productivity in its lime operations by adopting Gemcom Surpac™ Software automates more than 200 functions for large quarry operator Countries: Belgium. IT Improvements: Enhanced data accuracy. Brazil. 50% reduction in number of surveys. Czech Republic. more precise estimation of block models. Poland and Russia Objective: Select a comprehensive system for geological and geochemical block modelling and automating routine mine planning tasks. Manager of the Geology Mining Team. “Gemcom is a strong software partner. Gemcom Surpac provides a wide range of content. Presentation of short-term data in a standardised manner. flexibility and functionality. allowing us to increase the quality of our work. . Software in German and local technical support. France.” — Rainer Westermann. Approach: Acquire the Gemcom Surpac software to automate workflows across the company’s global operations. consistency and protection. Business Benefits: Automation of more than 200 routine and special tasks for greater productivity. Efficient sharing of data. skills and project knowledge. Faster. China. Rheinkalk GmbH 14 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Aerial view of the Asbeck quarry at the Menden-Hönnetal property. Access to geological and deposit data in standard file formats. The manufacturer’s two largest production sites are its WülfrathFlandersbach and Menden-Hönnetal properties.de) is a subsidiary of Lhoist Group. Whether they model geology at headquarters or create a monthly mine plan onsite.rheinkalk.” Gemcom excels over industry counterparts Westermann and his team also evaluated Datamine in their quest for a superior mine planning system.” Superior tool improves work quality Geologist Markus Oehmen views a fault at the Salzhemmendorf property.Technology applied to improve workflows The German market requires around 7 million tonnes of lime annually. consistency and protection by storing geology. Russia and Czech Republic. Quarry block model developed with Surpac. They distribute that data to the geologists. Rheinkalk (www. knowledgeable resources in Germany. Productivity has increased since Rheinkalk’s global adoption of Surpac. however. Germany. “We use Surpac all over the world. procurement and materials management. Manager of the Geology Mining Team at Rheinkalk. They also perform short-. Gemcom also commits to ongoing research and development with regular product updates and enhancements. They all have access to the same. the data goes to the purchasing engineers for equipment budgeting. Surpac is their main productivity tool.and longterm planning. collaboration is smoother and easier for all groups involved. In Surpac. but Gemcom’s software contained more flexibility and functionality. Rheinkalk found it advantageous to hire a Gemcom distributor to spearhead the software implementation and provide training and technical assistance in the German language. Germany’s leading lime producer has applied technology to improve workflows. “I learned to master the latest geostatistical tools in Surpac. and Rheinkalk GmbH meets the major share of the demand. Plant personnel manufacture various types of lime in different furnaces or kilns according to customer specifications. steel. the staff creates Surpac geological and geochemical models that genuinely exemplify the chemical composition and main structural elements of the limestone deposits. These were important considerations in Rheinkalk’s purchasing decision. planning and drilling data in one system for use across business units. The company outsourced those activities to an outside company. engineers and surveyors use at the head office in Belgium and at operating properties in France. Rheinkalk personnel have participated in Gemcom training classes to upgrade their skills. which has a quarry production of 10 million tonnes of limestone annually. “This training will help me estimate block models faster and more precisely. “We selected Surpac because we needed to improve the quality of the work.” he says. Since the implementation. China. up-to-the-minute data. management sought to bring that responsibility back under the company’s supervision because some data was lost or compromised as it moved between the contractor and company personnel. 15 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s For corporate teams working across Lhoist business units. multiples uses Rheinkalk staff has marked success using Surpac at the Wülfrath-Flandersbach plant. . Parent company Lhoist also has a number of Surpac licenses that approximately 40 company geologists. Rheinkalk Geologist Markus Oehmen attended a Gemcomsponsored seminar recently. Poland. Therefore. That is because Surpac enhances data accuracy. Headquartered in Wülfrath. Brazil.” explains Westermann. With more than 105 years of experience in lime production. environmental protection and building material industries with lime and dolomite domestically and internationally. The staff counts the Surpac software as an integral part of their day-to-day operations.9 million tonnes annually. which owns 90 plants and leads the market in providing products derived from limestone calcinations. From there. From exploration work and core drilling.” One tool. Its product sales amount to approximately 2. “It provides important capabilities for organising and maintaining our data sets so that our teams can easily access and utilise them.” says Rainer Westermann. Rheinkalk itself has 10 sites that supply the chemical. Gemcom had dependable. mid. in addition to approximately 3 million tonnes of overburden per year. Westermann recalls how Rheinkalk handled block modelling before acquiring the Gemcom software. In addition. consequently. who conduct their grade control work. Over the last 10 years. “We also wanted to implement a digital mine planning system and provide common tools to communicate about geological block models within our department and across business units. they create block models and open pit mine designs. Westermann notes that limestone rock from the quarry is a chemically composed product derived from calcinations. Quarry employees enter the drillhole and borehole data from the quarry operation and update it in Surpac. the opportunities for synergy are considerable. count volumes. We are delighted to have these Gemcom tools to aid our progress.” Oehmen says. analysis of these blastholes allow us to fill in a short-term block model and organise weekly or monthly plans. Without Surpac. block models. The macro produces my selection. Oehmen explains.Surpac automates nearly 200 tasks The automation of various routine and special tasks enables staff to work faster and more proficiently. Oehmen has spearheaded the creation of nearly 200 customised Surpac macros to automate input functions. there are macros to calculate cut-off curves and cycle times for mobile equipment on block models. “We developed our own macro-based user interface under Surpac and embedded Surpac functions within those macros. and design forms. providing visual corroboration and easy communication of activity sequences. In addition to that. they need only survey once a year. This is a useful capability at the Wülfrath-Flandersbach plant. so we simulated a lot of processes with diverse constraints in MineSched and came up with a proposal for opening the new quarry. Surpac and MineSched both have played a major role in our operations. In addition. Surpac enables our teams to execute their work skillfully and in significantly shorter time. We standardised file naming and colourations for different chemical content. Oehmen cites the integration of a standardised plotting feature to produce quarry maps with German cliff symbols and standard legends and colours for block models. helped Rheinkalk open a new extension a few years ago. the most recent topography is needed for reserve calculations. but by applying information generated automatically. which would impede our main objectives to operate efficiently and economically. In fact. and I get it in a defined scale – without added work. “We needed to investigate whether the timing and dynamics were right.” Oehmen says. plan updates. “I can produce a plot of regions.” Another reason for establishing macros was to present shortterm data in a standardised manner. so we’re driving productivity and cost efficiencies in our operations. MineSched’s scheduling functionality. a drillhole map and block model slides by simply clicking a button. Operating the macro-based system reduces the number of surveys. 16 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Pre-screening at the Wülfrath-Flandersbach plant. . All schedule details are viewed in 3D. sends it to the plotter. Applying the Surpac cycles macro in MineSched. the Surpac macro language saves time. which Rheinkalk uses to produce mining schedules and sequences. Rheinkalk GmbH Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom Surpac Gemcom MineSched Gemcom Services: Software implementation Training Technical support Conveyor belt between the Rohdenhaus crusher and washing plant. and then. possibly make more procedural errors and need to add more personnel. Some of the Surpac macros work optimally with the Gemcom MineSched software. line sequences and maps for our 10 deposits in Germany. we would have more repetitive work to do. The location of the blastholes are used to update the pit topography weekly. “We developed a system whereby we can fill in short-term data based on the coordinates of the blastholes. the staff calculates the total distances hauled by truck and visualises the behaviour of the transport vehicles during stages. Instead. where daily blasts change the pit shape from week to week. along with its simulation capabilities.” Westermann concludes. In the past. topography. Working faster and more efficiently In addition to financial savings regarding surveying. the company surveyed its open pit mines twice yearly. The result is that various users and departments have access to geological and deposit data in standard file formats. interrogate maps by date. Over the years. In another example. About Shougang Mining Company Headquarters: Beijing. The visualisation of the mine designs in Surpac.cn 17 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Shougang open pit mining operation. Needing easy-to-use. an optimisation task that used to take one person several months can now be done in just 10 minutes. mine planning. took the lead in the adoption of such solutions. . These automated processes were developed to support the specific needs of the company in conjunction with local Gemcom services and support. Shougang Group subsidiaries are listed on the Shenzhen and Hong Kong stock exchanges. Chinese-language software that firsttime users could learn quickly.” concludes Ms. Mining Engineer and Geological Specialist adds: “The implementation of Surpac has resulted in invaluable interactive technical communications between our geologists. Mao Quing Hua. can now be completed by Shougang technical personnel in just a few minutes. Shougang has used Surpac daily in geology. design. survey. In 2004. The Surpac initiative has significantly altered the traditional manual mining work methods. especially for large areas and/or multiple constraints. “I can clearly see the positive results from the implementation of Surpac as part of our Digital Mine Project. Sun. the utilisation of mining productivity software is moving into the mainstream as the industry in the country sees examples of the value they deliver. Web site: www. and production. compared with hours or even days previously and with higher accuracy. as an example. surveyors and engineers.” says Ms. The work quality and work rate within the professional technical teams has certainly been advanced. explaining how the software has helped to improve the company’s competitiveness. an iron ore producer based in Beijing seeking to be at the forefront of the use of technology in mining. one of China’s largest steel makers. has allowed for more efficient and practical work. Shougang Mining Company.shougang. Shougang turned to Gemcom and its Surpac software. along with user support in their native-tongue. The result has been a significant increase in workforce efficiency.com. Since adopting the software. Their aim was to boost their competitiveness and increase efficiency by improving the technical capabilities of their employees through the replacement of manual geology and mine planning methods as part of its “Digital Mine Project”.Vision of improved competitiveness achieved by China’s Shougang Mining Company with Gemcom Surpac™ In China. Sun. as long as technical and economic parameters are selected.” Another way in which Surpac has aided the organisation’s efficiency is through improvements made possible by the software’s ability to automate routine user tasks and mine planning workflows. raising the level of technology that has been employed by industry in China to new heights. “Resource and grade calculations. China ASX symbol: MRE Shougang Mining Company is part of the Shougang Group. Suriname Objective: Support exploration and mining functions and promote efficiency. Business Benefits: Streamlined workflows and cross-functional collaboration. Vice President and General Manager. Automated backup and protection against unauthorised data changes. The software has worldwide recognition. Improved communications between system users. Mali.” − Renaud Adams. “Having Gemcom GEMS here is an advantage from a human resources standpoint. information sharing and collaboration among interdepartmental groups. IAMGOLD Corporation IT Improvements: Amalgamation of 27 projects into a single data repository. Compatibility with third-party mining software. Ecuador. easy access to the correct data. so it will be much easier to find people already trained in GEMS compared to other software. which accelerates staff proficiency.IAMGOLD drives threefold mine expansion with Gemcom technology The Gemcom GEMSTM solution−a mainstay at IAMGOLD’s Omai and Rosebel Mines since 1991−improves communication and collaboration Countries: Botswana. 18 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Rosebel Mine. Ghana. Easy-to-learn functionality. Centralised. Approach: Upgrade to GEMS with Microsoft SQL Server and employ Gemcom to convert multiple data sets into a single database environment. Suriname . Canada. Real-time business intelligence for making strategic mining decisions. As the multi-phase expansion goes full tilt. the IAMGOLD staff could immediately start creating projects with the data. Better collaboration with a single database IAMGOLD originally acquired several licenses of the GEMS Desktop version from Cambior.” Adams observes. The ongoing expansion will elevate the production level above 300. the company which owned the mine at the time. geology – to use the same mining software package. four groups were all working on the same deposits−but in different databases. however. A group would export data from another group’s database into its own. solids. The grade control. profiles. “It has been difficult to maintain a high-quality. However.” says Eric Ramsey. Many Chilean job candidates who have sought employment recently at IAMGOLD are familiar with GEMS. its significant unrealised value has prompted the company to undertake an $18. A solid part of the corporate culture Early on IAMGOLD standardised on the GEMS collaborative mining system to gain efficiency. putting the data in jeopardy. Employing their software of choice. surveying. Eventually the Microsoft Access databases contained 27 various projects of drill holes. Facing immediate demands for skilled workers. surveying and scheduling. GEMS software was part of the corporate culture at the start.4 million expansion to increase annual production and boost metallurgical recovery from 93 to 95 percent. pit designs and block models. She configured the data model to support the company’s workloads. We never entertained changing the software. mid-tier gold producer that began trading publicly in 1996. skills and mine training.” says Renaud Adams. Cambior staff set up Rosebel mining data in GEMS. data reliability and communication issues. Overcoming the tight labour pool Gemcom’s system helps the company address the scarcity of qualified workers brought on by the mining boom.iamgold. “The GEMS software is well documented and is an easy-to-use product. saved time and made the transfer to IAMGOLD an easy exercise. In addition. planning. moving an average of 120. South America.com) owns eight different operations in North America.A bright start Toronto. two non-gold assets that provide significant cash flow. Cambior. Vice President and General Manager of IAMGOLD. After the data transfer. Rosebel has the potential to grow considerably above this level. Geological interpretation constructed with GEMS. . Canada-based IAMGOLD Corporation (TSX: IMG. Acquired in November 2006. such as geology. This issue hit home for IAMGOLD. IAMGOLD needed to eliminate redundancy and merge those various compilations into a single. IAMGOLD enjoyed success with GEMS at its Omai site in Guyana. The software enables the exchange of timely. The software also has been in use at the Rosebel site for some time. whose own staff of skilled expatriates dwindled last year due to the competition among mining companies. Rosebel produced 276.” Adams admits. there was a strong push for all departments – engineering. several Cambior employees who transferred to IAMGOLD were avid GEMS users. scalable structure with multiuser access. technical operation at Rosebel.000 ounces of gold in 2007. which enables new and less skilled employees in underdeveloped areas to grasp the training they need and become capable users quickly. Periodically the data sets required manual synchronisation and validation. Prior to Rosebel’s acquisition. IAMGOLD’s Senior Mine Geologist. so the company expects to tap from this pool of skilled employees when it expands further in South America. South America and Africa. departments and security requirements. the company’s crown jewel is the Rosebel open pit mine in Suriname. which caused accuracy. For years. engineering and mine exploration groups created separate data sets for their portion of a project. accurate information among interdependent functions. and four development projects that afford continual growth. NYSE: IAG) is a top. which was time-consuming. The amount of information was expanding beyond the software’s limits. Gemcom addresses this issue by making its mine collaboration software simple to use.The corporation (www. surveying. the company’s workforce will mine four different pits (and potentially a fifth) approximately 6 kilometres apart at Rosebel. Over time. “Rosebel has been booming since day one. had adopted GEMS. 19 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s “From the very beginning. IAMGOLD now draws from a pool of South American nationals with limited knowledge. which protected the information.000 ounces per year. Janice Martin was Gemcom’s implementation manager for the migration to GEMS with Microsoft SQL Server. We have only been in operation for about four years but are already undergoing a third expansion.000 tonnes of material daily. resource estimates.” The engineering team uses GEMS for their short-term planning and annual mine plan budgets. optimising pit designs. to secure capital to advance drilling activities. We also update all of the diamond drilling statistics in GEMS for resource development and exploration. The gold miner has set a goal of adding a minimum of 50. and will continue its aggressive exploration and development programmes. augers. dump and road designs. It all works quite well. GEMS is useful for the following activities: ore/ waste packets. “We can protect our data. “The increase in productivity. The software interfaces with GPS. “It is hard to imagine how grade control would be without it. join the company. density models and drilling patterns. “We import the Whittle shell into GEMS and the production blocks into Whittle and vice-versa. Wenco fleet management software programmes making data transfer straightforward.” Approximately 30 persons currently use GEMS. get packet limit positions. so that everybody could work on the current data set. IAMGOLD’s main tool for long-term planning. They download the current topographic information directly into GEMS.” Adams says. and analysing drilling and mining decisions.000 ounces of production by 2010. quality and performance that we have gained by doing our jobs in GEMS paid for our software investment. the surveyors go directly into the ore control workspaces. who may possess various levels of training.” Ramsey says. IAMGOLD Corporation Solutions at a Glance Gemcom Whittle In addition. remaining ore/waste in the pits.” Ramsey says. which is simple to do. Employing the Cut Evaluation feature. Microsoft SQL Server He and his colleagues employ the Whittle strategic mine planning tool in a number of ways: for calculating reserves. structural mapping. assisting with surveying backfill and topography pickups. watch operations animated on the screen and verify production targets.” Ramsey explains. “Our migration to GEMS with Microsoft SQL Server brought those separate databases together. Primary Applications: Gemcom GEMS AutoCAD Global positioning system Wenco fleet management system Gemcom Services: Database consolidation and migration Software deployment Onsite training and knowledge transfer Ongoing technical support Return on investment IAMGOLD has built up considerable expertise and proficiency by using Gemcom technologies over the years. Proficiency and real-time GEMS data−accessible on-demand−serve to improve decision making. trenches. while allowing employees to be trained on the system. The GEMS survey application aids surveyors’ mining strategy. along with better collaboration and communication among our departments. as well as pit.” Adams concludes.“It was a successful implementation. lower costs and more gold discoveries. daily advance working faces. We want to continue taking advantage of what the Gemcom solution offers. Even the new laboratory management system that IAMGOLD is evaluating for purchase can work with GEMS. “I’m using GEMS every day. they conduct daily scenarios. upload them into their real-time global positioning system (GPS) and mark them out in the field. new assay and blast hole importing. which are helpful when new hires.” says Ramsey. Many different products we buy can interface easier with GEMS than with Vulcan. . Gemcom implemented security permissions to protect the data. Now we have everything in one controlled. volumetrics. including ore ratings for the three Rosebel pits in production. “GEMS with a SQL Server database gives us an edge. A jewel of a tool for many tasks The GEMS solution houses nine different projects. With 3D renderings. production block models. “Before designing the packets. GEMS complements the Gemcom Whittle software. AutoCAD and 20 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Blast on the Pay Caro pit. Shared platform with smooth interfaces Incorporating the latest data and drawings into GEMS with an industry-standard database engenders fluid. GEMS will continue to play a prominent role in these endeavours.” Ramsey says. Whittle helps them identify sensitive areas that need additional information and ultimately. protected structure. And informed decisions can lead to better margins. proficient workflows. mine-out ore/waste packets. Kyrgyz Republic. Availability and access to relevant. United States Objective: Establish a platform that enables cross-departmental collaboration and maximises the potential of current properties. . Facilitation of smooth interactions between geological and engineering functions. Approach: Employ Gemcom GEMS with Microsoft® SQL Server® and Gemcom Whittle software to build staff efficiency and aid geological modelling. Business Benefits: Estimation and drilling accuracy.With Gemcom GEMS™ and Gemcom Whittle™. Mongolia. Mongolia’s largest hard rock gold mine. Easy. Boroo Mine. “Having a sophisticated data management tool put us in a good position early on. costs. 21 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Centerra’s Boroo Mine. fast assessment of economic potential of company mineral properties. and results. open pit optimisation. Mine Manager. find Gemcom software indispensable for cross-functional collaboration Countries: Canada. Centerra Gold Inc. enabling the recovery of approximately 91 percent of gold. Security provisions and policies for user privileges to prevent unauthorised changes. Mongolia. accurate information. Centerra Gold drives efficiency and maximises potential of its mineral properties Personnel at Centerra’s Boroo operation. IT Improvements: Seamless data integration and interfaces to third-party systems. Better insight into mining performance.” — Mike Kelly. It has paid for itself by preventing problems that could occur from using out-dated information in reports. and mine planning. and we also have procedures for grade control set up in the system that the crews follow daily.or longterm basis in the most economical manner. We have several mining shifts. transparent communication and data integrity across functions.. engineers. “GEMS has all of the information we want to see united in one system—block model data. 22 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Both GEMS and Whittle are easy to use. These benefits are realised as GEMS promotes a dynamic. universally recognised mine planning system backed by superior training and professional services. Having access to current data. which would make it difficult to determine production schedules and capital expenditures. therefore. Boroo.” Boroo’s grade control procedures are complicated. They can characterise volumetric changes occurring frequently in their mining environment. As Oyungerel notes. develops and operates gold properties in Central Asia. We especially like Gemcom’s innovation. GEMS software tools help the geology and engineering departments analyse and survey the mineral deposits and plan mining operations on a short. so GEMS helps us ensure our crews are mining correctly pit by pit and that production aligns with our estimates. estimating reserves. “Beginners learn to use GEMS quickly because it has understandable menu functions and tools. drillhole values. Whittle has an intuitive user interface that helps beginners start building economic models and optimising the pit shapes effectively. In addition to Boroo. The company noted that GEMS is the leading. faster. thereby fostering seamless. we have much more experience using it than any other software. online assistance and technical support. Mine Manager. our estimation and drilling accuracy enable the company to recover approximately 91 percent of the gold in the ore.5x1. nevertheless. Our ore control geologists create ore reserve packets in GEMS. “As GEMS is used widely throughout our operations. making it easier to train new employees. using GEMS volumetrics and resource reporting tools and blasthole assay data streamlines the work for grade control geologists.000 ounces of gold annually. the gold deposit is lying flat or sub-horizontal and extends over an area measuring 2. Leading-edge 3D visualisation tools enable Boroo geologists to map and estimate the gold mineralisation between sedimentary and granitic rocks and faults with confidence.com) has a 100 percent equity interest in Mongolia’s largest hard rock gold mine. improves the quality of mine plans. “GEMS is our main system for performing daily grade control. Easy-to-use software increases productivity A year before the Boroo mine began production. along with the Whittle software to optimise the open pits. the former Soviet Union and other emerging markets worldwide. It is the first noteworthy foreign investment for industrial development in Mongolia since 1997. At Boroo. the Boroo mine and mill complex began commercial production in March 2004. Centerra also owns the Kumtor gold mine in the Kyrgyz Republic and interests in the Gatsuurt property located 35km from Boroo. and mine planners to work smarter. Canada-based company (www. developing resource reports. compiling data on the deposit.” says Mike Kelly. Throughout the area. to maximise the extraction of ore.” Oyungerel explains.” Kelly says. Accurate geology decisions Oyungerel B. mineralised zones occur up to 400 metres wide and typically average from 10 to 30 metres in thickness. and overseeing drilling operations. shared through one system. explores. Without GEMS the staff would not have complete survey data for their reports and calculations. The construction of an almost 4-million tonne per annum heap leach facility at the Boroo mine will enable the processing of low-grade ores. and more productively. The Toronto. Boroo’s Chief Geologist. Simplification of grade control management Boroo’s staff achieves their ore control and waste management objectives and performs reconciliations in GEMS. and her staff are responsible for modelling the geology. Located 110 kilometres west-northwest of Ulaanbaatar. GEMS with Microsoft SQL Server enables 40 geologists. Blasthole drilling.5 kilometres. or maintain production targets. The property has produced approximately 200. They were also impressed by Gemcom’s commitment to software development. “We do all of our observations in 3D and use the GEMS tools to determine how best to mine within the geology and to design our drillhole layouts. knowledge sharing and collaboration occurs much faster—even among inexperienced users. Generally.Growth-oriented company realises the full benefit of its holdings Centerra Gold Inc. The system documents a number of elements and values for the mining team. centerragold. Centerra selected GEMS as its block modelling and mine planning solution. Thanks to GEMS. With the system. surveyors. team-based environment with real-time collaboration. the quantity . they estimate reserves daily for ore control using polygon drawings for plotting maps and colour coding areas. (TSX:CG) acquires. After the engineers perform their economic study. therefore. they optimise the pit shells for various factors. Centerra promotes its strategy of bringing the full benefit of its current holdings to market and delivering production efficiencies. The software makes geostatistics. the company may require more technology resources. As those activities expand. They produce effective results to use in deciding whether to mine or continue drilling—all with a keen focus on cost control and profitability. It has paid for itself by preventing problems that could occur from using out-dated information in reports. view. Whittle enables staff to maximise pit potential GEMS interfaces seamlessly with Whittle. “It’s easy to set up different plans and designs in GEMS and to see all of the variables and assess the costs in relation to mining potential. The engineers can manipulate the block size.” she says. Boroo’s pit optimisation software of choice. Mining Width. I can make the best decision from many options. they return a Whittle shell to Oyungerel. When she travels from the head office to a mine site. establish designs. That’s another thing we like about partnering with Gemcom—the software choices—and the fact that we get good value for the money with their software. mapping and volumetric calculations fast and accurate. “We’re now considering MineSched to facilitate more flexible scheduling. adding that the GEMS system mitigates the risks and prevents errors involved in data transfer.” Kelly acknowledges. Oyungerel agrees. Boroo geologists export it into Whittle for the engineering group to conduct surface planning. This gives us more analytical opportunities in order to decide the best solution.” says Kelly. she uses the convenient Pack-and-Go™ module of GEMS. “GEMS and Whittle integrate well with our other systems and processes. uses the pit shell for volumetrics. analyses. Multi-Mine.and classification of ore grades and production reports. typically increasing it because of the orebody and calculation time.” With trusted information available via innovative software. performing exploration work and drill testing targets for additional mineralisation around the existing pits. She adds. They both have good import and export menus to and from other systems. and Stockpiles and Cut-offs. Direction for engineering operations Boroo’s engineers and surveyors use GEMS to gain greater clarity for short-.” Oyungerel says.and long-term planning. “Having a sophisticated data management tool put us in a good position early on. Centerra assigns user privileges so that some personnel can access.” Kelly concludes. Whittle modules that play a prominent role in Boroo’s analyses include Multi-Element. mid. while others can add and change it. and determine operational costs. and reports. 23 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Boroo mine operations. Centerra Gold Inc. I can just run volumetrics and get my answers from it. The future will find the company undertaking additional drilling programs. After creating a GEMS block model with its grades and values and reserve estimation. “I can synchronise my data with Pack-and-Go and work on a project wherever I am. If I want to see how much overburden material was removed. who in turn. including Microsoft Excel®. to test gold production strategies and to make informed decisions about engineering activities. we can develop reports in the formats we desire. “We trust the information from Whittle. . including cash flow. Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom GEMS Gemcom Whittle Microsoft SQL Server Gemcom Services: Software implementation Training Technical support Boroo planners transfer Whittle outcomes into resource and reserve statements and company reports. which allows her to transfer data back and forth and work remotely. The policies ensure that the most current information gets incorporated into strategies. and use the data. Kelly also acknowledges that another advantage of using the GEMS system is that it promotes governance and protection for data assets.” Kelly says. Boroo mine team. In addition. GEMS helps me be more productive because I can test various scenarios and run computations fast and easily. Data consolidation into a central system.” — Pieter Du Plessis. up-to-date mining information. Easy sharing of complex modelling data across groups. IT Improvements: Immediate access to organised. “The GEMS product is integral for constructing 3D models on time and giving us hard numbers that we can publish to comply with NI 43-101. Streamlined data management. we have a great measure of comfort that we are constructing models in line with industry standards. Saskatchewan. Shore Gold Inc. Strong confidence in geological block models. Improved decision making. Attainment of return on investment. Approach: Employ the Gemcom GEMS software to interpret kimberlite diamond deposits and estimate pre-production reserves. Therefore. 24 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Star Diamond Project. Canada . Time and financial savings resulting from automated user access and model development.Vice President of Exploration.Shore Gold strengthens exploration programme with Gemcom GEMS™ Multifaceted mining software proves valuable for estimating diamond resources Countries: Canada Objective: Model and calculate ore body reserves during advanced-stage exploration. Data consistency company-wide. Data integrity and validation for National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101) compliance. Business Benefits: In-depth analysis of type and composition of kimberlite minerals to determine mining feasibility. “Consequently. which trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) under the SGF stock symbol. 25 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s In their quest for the right solution.” In addition. It is easy to extract good 3D visualisations for use in investor-related presentations. Shore management evaluated Vulcan and several other mining products. An independent. “GEMS is not only suitable for exploration and drill holes. the company employs the Gemcom GEMS solution. according to Du Plessis. assuming the reserve shows economic potential. “We have a great measure of comfort that we are constructing models in line with industry standards. “From my past experience. the Shore geologists used Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and a competitor’s basic software to visualise the kimberlites. com). acquires. Data integrity and speedy access GEMS comprises scalable architecture built around industrystandard Microsoft SQL Server databases. With the ability to rapidly import and export data to applications such as AutoCAD. long-term solution Undertaking a major evaluation programme for its properties. the company’s Vice President of Exploration. where the company recovered and valued diamond parcels it will use in the mineral reserve calculation.” explains Pieter Du Plessis. Shore also sank a shaft to estimate resources for the Orion South Kimberlite. Gemcom always responded quickly to inquiries and requests for assistance. Shore sought powerful software to improve data interpretation and visualisation and help it portray information in the prescribed format.” A comprehensive. Shore recently conducted several phases of underground bulk sampling on the Star Kimberlite. The outstanding service provided by the Gemcom engineers in South Africa made it an easy decision for us to incorporate GEMS here in North America in a different environment. Using the software’s powerful graphical interface. the geologists create models representing how many carats are contained per tonne of rock. Orion deposit and core shack. (www. These companies have produced similar tonnage estimates in line with the estimates generated from GEMS. the aim of the Star Kimberlite advanced evaluation is to define an NI 43-101 compliant mineral resource followed by a mineral reserve. third-party company and Shore’s joint venture partner.shoregold. Additionally. audit the models.” Du Plessis adds. We reached a point in our exploration on the Star Kimberlite where we needed to scale up to professional-level software. This is critical because Shore publicly discloses scientific and technical information about its mineral projects in accordance with the National Instrument 43-101 rule. Therefore. in-depth. the resource estimate can be converted to a mineral reserve and later used in a feasibility study. GEMS increases confidence in geological model The Gemcom solution provides compelling value in analysing potential diamond holdings in the Star and Orion South Kimberlites.” he says. explores and develops mineral proper ties. GEMS lets us bring in multiple data sets to obtain a full understanding of all of the data. Shore needed a sophisticated 3D modelling method−a solution that interacts with existing applications and is built around a central database. three-dimensional (3D) models. Before implementing the GEMS block modelling package.” he says. There is so much data to be considered for the resource estimate. In fact.Exploration from a position of strength Shore Gold Inc. Canada. GEMS provides information sharing capabilities. Newmont Mining Corporation. . GEMS’ modular framework makes it easy for Shore to purchase additional components to aid future diamond mining. However. that rudimentary software did not help the staff construct industry-standard. To advance these projects. we did not have a certain level of confidence in our geological models and resource estimates. Its current endeavours include the advancement of the Star Diamond Project and the Orion South Kimberlite in the For t a la Corne Kimberlite Cluster in central Saskatchewan. “GEMS helps us increase the level of confidence that we can have in the geological model. management realised the software would meet the company’s needs over the long term. We quickly saw that Shore could obtain full value from GEMS. However. for which it has a 60 percent interest. “Our geologists could not grasp all of the different data and analyse multiple data sets in 3D simultaneously. “but it is also the type of software that we can continue using to interpret the kimberlites as we progress into diamond mining. Then. GEMS was the clear choice. because Gemcom had delivered excellent technical support and training for a South African mining company that Du Plessis had worked with previously and numerous Shore geologists had used the software. GEMS particularly stood out in this area.” Du Plessis says. production and scheduling. . 26 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Close-up view of recovered diamond. and it would have cost us much more. quality assurance is part of the entire workflow. When working in the field. Consequently. Shore Gold Inc.reducing the time spent on data management. we would have needed to pay an outside contractor to do the work for us.” Du Plessis notes. They assisted us with the initial program code. Shore geologists use the Pack and Go module of GEMS. Gemcom GEMS Microsoft SQL Server AutoCAD “This used to be a manual process that required a lot of management time to make sure that the right people accessed the right data. Du Plessis believes that GEMS has proved its worth thus far. making it cumbersome to access the latest data. independent stand-alone capabilities in the field. we wouldn’t be able to access the central database from the field. Underground blast preparation. Further development of the logger by the Shore experts have added customised project-specific codes.” says Du Plessis. “We are using the logger in a quantitative. Along with an audit trail and timeline of all transactions. which helped us reach our objectives. “It will be a major milestone for us as an organisation to declare a resource for the first time on the Star Kimberlite.” he affirms. A resource for logging kimberlites Shore also purchased a customised drill hole logger from Gemcom to help meet the specific requirements of viewing data metre by metre and logging drill hole data onto laptops. Perhaps the biggest challenge overall was this approach impeded the company’s ability to accurately model kimberlite bodies. It is a very convenient tool. versatility and functionality Instead. systematic manner. This approach affected data integrity and version control. versatility and functionality−all are qualities within GEMS that help advance exploration and diamond mining. we will be able to declare resources on some of our joint venture kimberlites as well. writing software codes to accommodate Shore’s specific data naming conventions. “In a few years. Primary Applications: Gemcom Services: Customisation Custom Logger Training Technical support Convenience. Although the economic feasibility of Shore’s mining properties has not been determined yet. The company has completed the merging of its remaining spreadsheets into SQL Server and pass the data to an engineering company for auditing and conducting a resource estimation.” says Du Plessis. and real-time networked operations from the field to the head office via satellite link. and there would be more opportunities for manual errors. the solution provides automated role-based privileges to mitigate unauthorized changes. a handy feature that allows them to move data back and forth easily in SQL Server and work on it remotely. data validation.” “Our geologists use the Pack and Go module when we need to transfer these models in a compact format to independent third-party reviewers for auditing and verification. “If we had not built our block modelling capabilities in-house. yet easily customisable solution for the acquisition of high-quality information in the field. So. Our transition to GEMS with SQL Server gives us data integrity and makes it easier and faster to access relevant data.” Du Plessis says. Shore personnel initially maintained data in numerous Excel spreadsheets. Shore gained ground by working with Gemcom personnel to deploy a SQL Server database with the GEMS implementation. we are accomplishing our goals with GEMS. Solutions at a Glance Convenience. The logger provides a comprehensive. Now. Gemcom complemented our skills nicely. Without it. data access is a seamless exercise that saves time and money. resource estimation and feasibility studies. 27 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s North-facing wall of Northumberland’s existing pit.Fronteer standardises on Gemcom GEMS™ for boosting big deposits with strong production potential Unique Unwrinkle and Unfold module in GEMS proves instrumental in deriving full potential of folded deposits Countries: Canada. More confidence in mineral estimates. United States Objective: Address drillhole data management. IT Improvements: Seamless data continuity for folded deposits. Approach: Adopt Gemcom GEMS and its Unwrinkle tool. 3D visualisation capabilities to aid delineation drilling and better define geometry and mineralisation.” — Christopher Lee.5%. . Fronteer Development Group Inc. Quick resource estimation for large deposits. “GEMS played a central role in helping expand the Michelin uranium deposit from 16 million pounds to 134 million pounds in a short timeframe. Alleviation of duplicate time and effort in estimating sub-domains. Increase in the deposit’s overall resource size by 23. Thorough evaluation of geologic trends in folded spaces. deposit modelling. which “flattens” folded deposits and maintains the correct spatial relationship between the points. Chief Geoscientist. Business Benefits: More accurate resource estimations and delineation drilling. Turkey. enabling them to be easily interpolated. Centralised system for efficiently managing and tracking drillhole data and interpretations. “GEMS has many features that support our business operations.” says Christopher Lee. Geologists leverage the block modelling and geostatistics modules to build 3D prototypes. but the company made a corporate decision to employ GEMS across all of its projects. proprietary approach to scientifically driven exploration has led Fronteer to not one. “Our strategic.44 million ounces indicated and 815.” Additionally. 28 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Fronteer’s leadership team. The Unwrinkle tool removes the problem of domain boundaries and provides seamless continuity in the data across these boundaries. the Unwrinkle tool alleviates the duplication of time and effort spent estimating each sub-domain and abates problems that can arise from less optimal estimates. Lee says. we can treat the entire deposit as a single geometrical domain and work with it as one entity−as opposed to fractioning it into smaller sub-domains and adding everything together at the end. At Northumberland.000 ounces inferred. Based in Vancouver.8 million pounds inferred. Fronteer adopted the GEMS Unwrinkle tool to temporarily flatten these deposits in a secondary space and maintain the correct spatial relationship between points for resource modelling accuracy. which greatly improves the confidence in these local estimates. according to Lee.” Advanced interpolation techniques Fronteer considered several software vendors four years ago when it needed to address resource estimation. fronteergroup. Drilling at Fronteer’s Sandman project in Nevada. where Aurora is defining one of the world’s largest primary uranium deposits. staff manage drillhole data and monitor drillhole deviation in real-time with GEMS. Fronteer also created Aurora Energy Resources (AXU-TSX) to develop its world-class primary uranium deposit in Labrador. understanding various deposit systems and geology. The software even proved its merit when Lee needed to optimise estimates for the company’s Northumberland property. With the Unwrinkle tool. (FRG:TSX.5 percent. Now the software is helping to steer direction on a number of fronts. Chief Geoscientist. including an extensive portfolio of advanced-stage gold projects in Nevada and a 40 percent interest in three gold and coppergold projects in northwestern Turkey.” Lee says.Finding value with science and technology Employing science and technical expertise in gold.” he says. Aurora has recently updated the resources for the Michelin. in Central Labrador in Atlantic Canada. Additionally. Fronteer (www. The GEMS solution was chosen because Lee. For example. and integrating a wealth of data to extract maximum value from its mineral resources. 3D modelling and drillhole data management. Canada (Fronteer currently has a 42. who has overseen the science used for Fronteer and Aurora exploration projects and resource estimations. which combined have a NI 43-101 resource of 83. this approach has turned outstanding results for the company. It also gives the staff more confidence in their resource models. Fronteer Development Group Inc.” He further explains the value of the GEMS tool: “Conventional estimation methods only let us look in one direction at a time. As Fronteer’s unique signature. the GEMS resource evaluation features are useful in the estimating process. increasing the deposit’s overall gold-equivalent resource size by 23. GEMS becomes Fronteer’s standard Previously Fronteer used competitor software. a key asset and one of the largest undeveloped Carlin-style deposits in Nevada with a gold-equivalent resource of 2. which possesses notable technical and international expertise. but five discoveries in six years−an unprecedented feat that has helped secure the company’s financial future. commits to the company’s Science of Discovery approach. Geologists tap the drillholes tools to manage and study drillhole data. “GEMS played a central role in helping expand the Michelin deposit and provided clear information to build the resources in the district from 16 million pounds to 134 million pounds in a short timeframe. British Columbia. Jacques Lake and four satellite deposits.3 percent interest in Aurora).com) finds major deposits with strong production potential by wisely embracing modern exploration techniques. our staff completed a new resource estimate for the 100 percent-owned Northumberland gold project in June 2008. Lee and his colleagues can conduct geostatistical analyses. Viewing the flattened deposit. “Gemcom’s GEMS solution is advanced technology that enables us to translate targets into discoveries. complex folding controls the deposit geometry and presents unique modelling challenges. was familiar with its capabilities. so we must sub-domain a larger. In 2005. copper and uranium discoveries. . geometrically complex deposit into a number of smaller ones to develop parameters specific to the local geometry and estimate each domain independently.9 million pounds of uranium (measured and indicated) and a further 49. “With these tools. AMEX) has built a covetable reputation as a highly successful exploration and development company. having used it for more than eight years. evaluating geologic trends that are unapparent in the folded spaces. drillhole. Delineation drilling requires a high degree of accuracy in the drillhole pierce points. Also. industry-recognised software. GEMS integrates with other third-party software to accelerate information transfer at Fronteer.” Fronteer also leverages the 3D graphics environment inside of GEMS to convey topographic. “In 3D we can better understand and define the geometry and mineralisation. “We have received return on our investment. who in turn can advance decisions that unlock optimal value from Fronteer’s mineral resources.” deposits. especially with Aurora. allowing more focus on revenue-generating activities and less worry about data integrity during transfers. they gain better control of their drillhole deviations and assurance that they are accurately sampling the right areas. Compelling 3D renditions In essence. we can estimate the distribution of the metal in the ground and have greater confidence in our decisions. Data is available at the ready via an associated. Summing up their overall assessment of GEMS. Fronteer Development Company Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom GEMS Gemcom Services: Software deployment Training Technical support Plan view of GEMS block model showing grade distribution within the deposit. We use it every step of the way. The graphical presentations help make geometric concepts more meaningful to corporate executives and investors. “The 3D visualisation components of GEMS helped us maintain the high level of accuracy that is required for our current delineation drilling program. . Lee says. They also employed the solution to monitor and manage new drillhole data. Decision makers appreciate the science that we are applying to these 29 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Oblique northwest view of GEMS block model showing depth extents of known mineralisation. which is why they standardised on GEMS. shape it and delineate the deposit. While the return is market-dependent on all of our projects. GEMS gives us that extra level of insight to help us correctly evaluate potential acquisition projects. “Using 3D visualisation. we believe we have created real value for the company by using proven. engendering teamwork and efficiency among Fronteer departments and disciplines.” Lee says.” Additionally.The staff put GEMS to work in compiling the historical data that was acquired in the exploration of that project. Certainly. GEMS unifies data into a collaborative platform. the 3D features in GEMS uncover larger deposits on existing properties.” Synergistic workflows From the standpoint of workflow. the staff trusts GEMS to help them track the drilling activities in 3D in real time. therefore. “We present our assets clearly in GEMS. GEMS has block modelling tools that assist us during the resource estimation stage and in translating drillhole data into an actual resource. “The GEMS tool is a big help in targeting and expanding our resources. I can take the solids. In addition. centralised database that can hold burgeoning drillhole statistics. giving Fronteer geologists a deeper understanding of geometry controls and showing where extensions are most feasible. Fronteer has achieved more by putting its Science of Discovery approach at the forefront and leveraging the best technology available. In doing so. Fronteer has produced an exceptional portfolio by identifying and quantifying world-class deposits where others did not fare as well. which helps us determine any predictability of the mineralisation. traverse. polyline and point data in a compelling way.” Lee points out. Lee notes. estimate resources and obtain mineralisation details. guide their targeting. pit shells and mine development solids that are produced by our engineers and incorporate those numbers into our GEMS model as well. Inc. Business Benefits: Avoidance of costly mining mistakes. Faster analysis and better decision-making. GEMS is very good at creating robust geological models from which we can estimate the resources. while utilising Gemcom technical support services. Approach: Move from classic geometric resource estimation to the Gemcom GEMS 3D geological modelling. Adaptive software for use in complicated geological environments. Reduction in resource estimation time. 30 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Lily Mine. statistics and volumetrics-based estimation techniques. Eastern Goldfields. from weeks to days. Escalation of the company’s business plans and regional exploration programme. IT Improvements: Data accuracy and integrity.” — Sam Mawson. Reliable ore body projections. Better insight for exploration and strategic mine planning. South Africa. . Group Geologist.Eastern Goldfields leverages Gemcom GEMS™ solution to help find new deposits in old rocks Robust geological models for resource estimation Countries: South Africa Objective: Accelerate the geological modelling process cost effectively. while improving productivity and data integrity. “GEMS is a pliable and powerful tool that we can adapt for modelling complicated ore zones in the Archaean Greenstones. Higher productivity via flexible analytical tools for planning. evaluation and resource estimation. Mawson reconciles the . Hoping to extend the mine’s resources beyond 17 years. the Lily Mine. South Africa. Therefore. EGI geologists used GEMS for exploration and ore body modelling. estimation and query tools so that the EGI geologists can ensure continued accuracy of the deposit model. Although richer. Going underground with GEMS EGI is accelerating its regional exploration programme on existing acreage and developing a long-life underground operation at the Lily Mine. 31 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s During the selection process. underground and surface open pit mining information in GEMS to upgrade our resource estimates. the deposits exist within small. and the results from GEMS came back in line with the classic method. We also must be able to show competency in our work and present our ore body mineral deposits to investors in a professional manner.” In the northeast region of the Barberton Mountainland lies EGI’s current operating property. Additionally. Group Geologist for EGI. it would take us almost a week to measure a resource using our old hand method. We also were impressed that Gemcom was making an effort on our behalf. the technical staff also explored other software options. “We needed robust geological modelling software to accelerate the process.” recalls Sam Mawson. as well as large kimberlite. EGI engaged Gemcom’s Johannesburg office to conduct initial modelling and resource estimation within GEMS.easterngoldfields. including the location of the geological stopes. (EGI) is a small.” Mawson explains. but growing company undertaking a tall task.” says Mawson. Exploration diamond drilling at the Lily Mine. EGI’s ambitious business plan is to increase production from the Lily Mine. South Africa. we realised that Gemcom’s resource estimation package worked. projects under feasibility study and profitable mining operations. EGI owns a number of properties in the Barberton Greenstone Belt. “Before we deployed GEMS. At the time. a precise. We use the exploration. “We had already calculated the resources for the project in the classic geometric method. the producer has highly prospective mineral holdings. “GEMS is pliable and powerful enough that we can adapt it for the complicated ore zones in the Archean Greenstone Belts and develop multiple geological solids. the company has hired consultants to assist the effort. “Other products came with many unnecessary peripherals we were never going to use. the software provides analytical. com) is exploring and developing new deposits in the world’s oldest rocks. speed and data integrity. home of the oldest recognised orogenic gold ores on earth. “Measuring a resource in a complicated environment using the old-fashioned. Intrigued with the software’s logic and features. but they were more expensive and not as flexible compared to GEMS.or platinum-hosted deposits. GEMS demonstrates strong agility in estimating resources in small Archean Greenstone deposits. can get it as an add-on. narrow veins and asymmetrical mineralised zones. The Lily Mine started as an open pit mine in 2000. This uneven grade distribution in irregular shaped zones can give rise to inaccuracies and variations. capture grade control data and maintain updated ore body information. This millionounce operation comprises an open pit. the company wanted to transition from classical resource estimation to a computer-based method to improve accuracy.” Mawson comments. Using GEMS. an assay laboratory and related infrastructure. During open pit mining at the Lily site. The software helped them define the mineralised zone. They are interpreting and designing the underground mining operations. GEMS is very good at creating robust geological models from which we can estimate resources. manual way took weeks. Headquartered in Nelspruit.” Mawson says.” Software with the right mix of features The Gemcom account team enthusiastically recommended the GEMS Resource Evaluation Edition and demonstrated it onsite at EGI. Now we can perform the estimates from exploration data in days. which is a more economical approach for a small company.Faster resource estimation Eastern Goldfields. we Software for complicated ore zones Deposits in the Archean Greenstone Belts present special mining challenges with the ore body having an inconsistent distribution of gold. Inc. One of those areas is the Barberton Greenstone Belt of the Mpumalanga Province. promote efficient mining and contain production costs. “With GEMS. Therefore. the junior gold mining company (www. a metallurgical plant. detail-oriented geological modelling solution helps to ensure representative resources. and we could obtain fast results. extend its life with underground development and explore for other substantial deposits. If we need another module. In addition. determine resource quantity. we could select a package with just the right features at an attractive price. a substantial part of EGI’s decision hinged on support services. we’re confident Gemcom will be here for us. Inc. “We’re using the software to check their calculations. The EGI draftsperson imports information from GEMS into the MicroStation software to prepare mine plans for regulatory and investor presentations. enabling various disciplines to share information. He acknowledges. EGI’s other geologist interfaces GEMS with AutoCAD. “If we have any problems. Eastern Goldfields. Application interfaces EGI has a small staff. we are getting the same results. and from this process. Lily Mine Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom GEMS MicroStation AutoCAD Model Maker Systems Gemcom Services: Consulting On-site training Technical support The EGI surveyor generates monthly surface surveys in the Model Maker Systems software for downloading into GEMS. economic Gemcom tools that aid our planning. . GEMS’ volumetrics and resource reporting features help them determine stope volumes. reconcile mineable reserves and track dilution. “For example. so data management is simple. GEMS supports data management because it seamlessly interfaces with other software. we have effective. For example. In fact.” says Mawson. “Another reason we purchased GEMS was because all of these software packages interface quite well with it. With this integration. Best of all. “Gemcom’s reputation for providing standout services were key reasons we favored Gemcom over other mining software providers and why we have stayed loyal to GEMS. dilution and mineable reserves efficiently and accurately. The upside for us is that the more support we get and the more work we do in the programme. Buoyed by powerful Gemcom software and support. the less support we need.” Mawson says.consultants’ findings. Responsive support leads to self-sufficiency While effective planning tools were critical requirements. For the most part. the geologists can create surfaces. However.” Mawson notes. which leaves more time for strategic work. who possess broad mining experience. the EGI staff is making solid contributions to a growing producer engaged in some of South Africa’s most prospective regions.” says Mawson. get on the phone and ask Gemcom for support – it’s as simple as that. The design of the underground mine will be based on the geological solids that we generate in GEMS. we just 32 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Lily 1st blast underground. we can export the sections and plans that we create in GEMS directly into MicroStation.” Mawson concludes. Overall. “The GEMS software creates high-quality 3D models. And Gemcom’s support is good. If we need to expand our capabilities. has served to increase the EGI staff’s efficiency in block modelling software. the accessibility of technical support from the Gemcom consultants and engineers.” Loading and hauling. we are becoming self-sufficient. “We will continue using GEMS for the exploration and drilling phases in other areas of the region after they come into fruition. we have one less thing to do.” The technical staff depends on the software’s powerful 3D solids modelling tools to create comprehensive development layouts and stope designs. Business Benefits: Superior quality control. Automation in daily blast control. Poland. . 85% faster ore reserve calculations. IT Improvements: Flexible. Russia and Sweden Objective: Improve the understanding and management of deposits to mine more efficiently and deliver high-quality products. Nordkalk Corporation 33 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Parainen Quarry. borehole quality maps 50% faster than manual methods. low-maintenance system for exploration targets. field locations and mines. planning. Germany.000-1. Doubled output of high-quality white stone at one operation over the last 10 years.Nordkalk relies on Gemcom GEMS™ for quality control and mining efficiency at limestone operations Nordkalk doubles output of its key product with Gemcom software Countries: Estonia. Approach: Implement GEMS at headquar ters and mine sites. saving 1. Geologist. and survey data in one system. Norway. which ensures customer satisfaction. Geological.” — Gerhard Hakkarainen. Finland.500 labour hours annually. Lithuania. “GEMS is so integrated into our entire mining structure – giving us accurate knowledge about the deposits and helping us optimise our various quality classes−that we could not successfully handle quality control or do mine planning without it. Mining efficiency and optimal use of limestone deposits. Optimisation of wall rock removal volumes to avoid high capital costs. agricultural and environmental care. their geology. Aerial view of Pargas quarry. For example. to maximise profits Nordkalk also must ensure its deposits are used optimally and mined efficiently. The white metamorphosed marble−surrounded by mica and diopside gneisses. low-maintenance system for staffs of varying sizes at its diverse field locations. Expanding production through superior knowledge Grade control accuracy Although quality is paramount in a competitive marketplace. In one blast. including geological. the staff derives reliable calculations and tonnages for rock and overburden removal. With such complex deposits. Headquartered in Pargas in southwestern Finland and operating at 30 locations in eight countries.” Hakkarainen says. Years later. The staff creates various designs for larger wall rock removals from the GEMS block model to determine tonnages that will net certain amounts of limestone.Prominent European limestone producer Nordkalk Corporation (www. Nordkalk is the leading producer of limestone based products in northern Europe. It helps us control and optimise the different quality classes so that we don’t mine more than we need at a certain time. To do so. Blast map from -100 m level. “It would be difficult for us to satisfy customer demand for accurate products with limited quality variations without GEMS. accurate information about the deposits and their variations. the geology of the Parainen deposit is complicated. “We saw the potential of automating much of the mine planning process and easily calculating the effects of different mining scenarios with GEMS. No other vendor had a system that was as flexible and included many useful features for the price as GEMS. ore extraction and waste rock removal impact profitability.7 million tonnes of limestone annually and because of its ore structure. who has personally used Gemcom software since 1997. Nordkalk upgraded to GEMS. the staff uses GEMS to develop annual and long-term mining plans as well as waste dump plans. Additionally. com) extracts and processes limestone into high-quality products for industrial. 34 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s and block models. Efficient mining to satisfy growing demand Limestone is generally a bulk product at a low unit cost compared to metals. the calcium carbonate content may vary from 15 to 95 percent. Detailed information decreases the need for costly quality correction measures down the line. chemical and physical properties.” Hakkarainen comments. Therefore. we generate long-term. particularly at two of the company’s major Parainen and Lappenranta quarries. They also can avoid blasting into waste rock and sustaining higher costs caused by ore dilution.” says Gerhard Hakkarainen. “I’ve been able to minimise the wall rock volumes and focus removal in the right places. With accurate GEMS data. easy-to-use interfaces. producing maps. and the rocks have been subjected to three different deformation stages. This has enabled them to . Nordkalk required software to control quality and effectively manage its deposits. In GEMS. By obtaining detailed 3D geological models in GEMS. Nordkalk staff classifies the impurity content and grade frequency of the limestone using drillhole databases With GEMS. The quality variations are easily visualised by colour coding. and a flexible. Ensuring product quality to meet customer requirements Limestone customers have individual needs and strict quality requirements. it is a challenge to maintain mining efficiency. wall rock removal corresponding to at least 30 percent of production is needed. The company chose GEMS software for calculating ore reserves. surveying daily blasts. granites and amphibolites−contains an abundance of these rocks. Nordkalk geologists were among the first in the business to forego manual methods and paper-based processing of their data in favour of an early version of PC-based mining software by Gemcom. Geology. while continuously ensuring that grades are not diluted. and managing its daily quality control stages.nordkalk. surveying and engineering teams need thorough. surveying and quality personnel manage a large number of quality parameters in GEMS. The Parainen quarry provides 1. The quantities are impressive considering some of the deposits are difficult to mine. Nordkalk Geologist. when they required modern 3D capabilities. Nordkalk develops superior knowledge about the deposits contained in their quarries. more functionality. Approximately 14 million tonnes of limestone originate annually from the company’s mines and quarries. Thus. GEMS allows grade control accuracy to the drillhole level. generating geological and grade block models. strategic calculations and make the right decisions about when to change our production systems or acquire more ore reserves. from ore exploration to drillhole planning to product delivery. Ore reserve calculations are 85 percent faster and more accurate than paper-based processing. “GEMS plays an important part at Nordkalk -. which has improved our ability to excavate and haul selectively.” Hakkarainen concludes.” Hakkarainen says. It only takes 12 hours. Russia and Central Europe. Optimisations by different cost profiles are speedy as well.” Hakkarainen acknowledges. “We are getting more done in the same time. 35 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s 3D mesh with four vertical profiles and one plan view. field-tested GEMS software to gain efficiencies. reducing the amount of time spent on the task by 1. and surveying and quality managers at the quarry can view those updates in minutes. Nordkalk depends on GEMS to manage escalating data volumes and achieve desired outcomes faster. Surveyor doing natural gamma logging of drillholes. can update the GEMS geological model. Nordkalk desires to expand its presence in the European market area within the triangle formed by Nor way. “We conduct one blast every working day. if we did not automate the work in GEMS. who works at headquarters. The current excavation plan will satisfy 25 to 30 years of production. it enjoys a sustained advantage in northern Europe because it utilises its deposits optimally and delivers the right products to various customer segments. The ability to update the maps daily with volumes and quality classes and constantly maintain current quarry volumetrics are important tasks at a busy quarry like Parainen. Hakkarainen adds. Constructing a quality map from the borehole data in 3D is 50 percent faster in GEMS.” Hakkarainen notes. “GEMS gives us confidence that we have the right mining projections. GEMS is so integrated into our entire mining structure that we could not successfully handle quality control or do mine planning without it.” Nordkalk Corporation Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom GEMS Gemcom Services: Software implementation Training Technical support Using proven. During each operational stage. Hakkarainen. Prime examples are mine reconciliations for a one-year period at Parainen. which take three hours or less compared to 28 hours without GEMS. By using GEMS.” At Nordkalk’s operations.500 work hours per year. the staff will leverage GEMS to determine the best alternative for optimal life of the mine. many decisions and plans must be made years in advance so that the complicated stripping and ore exposure push forward. “We have the ability to review alternative mining scenarios in GEMS. Nordkalk is well positioned to bring its brand to bear on new markets. It would take a half a day to log and interpret it and 25 percent more time for two people. mining operations stay on track as all information utilised across mining functions is always up to date. . the team uses the software to help them refine their understanding of the deposits and to plan more optimal ways to mine them.expand production rapidly to meet growing demand for products derived from white stone. Automating daily blast control Nordkalk’s system for daily blast control−from measuring to reporting−is streamlined with GEMS because all the information is recorded in one system. Streamlining tasks and improving collaboration With expanding production. We can’t put a price tag on a necessity. “GEMS has aided us to double our white stone output in the Parainen quarry over the last 10 years. Meanwhile. When the time comes to evaluate the feasibility of expanding the open pit or to begin underground mining.000 to 1. whereas the same exercise would require many workdays manually. the company. The software enables us to run reserve estimations. . in the geological modelling of the deposit. The operation went into production in 2009 and produces approximately 55. Its software is flexible.” Toulebekova adds. and plan production drilling.000 tons of ore each month. which are both in Russian. a mining. Voskhod-Oriel.Multi-disciplined Voskhod-Oriel team relies on Gemcom Surpac™ to drive mining operation The Voskhod-Oriel chromite mine is located in northwestern Kazakhstan and is geologically situated in the southern part of the Ural folding belt. technical support. “In surveying. geological modelling. Central Asia. and in drill and blast design.” says Karlygash Toulebekova. In fact. Surpac is also actively used in the design of development workings and stopes. ferroalloy. was done by several specialists and took quite a lot of time. and offers good visualisation.” “Without Surpac our work allocated to re-calculation and clarification of the ore reserves and parts of the deposit already mined would be carried out by several specialists Voskhod over the course of one to two months. easy to use. “I recommend Gemcom. Russia. Surveyor.” “Surpac helps everyone here at the mine because it is easy to learn due to its full set of tutorials and user interface. With Surpac this work can be carried out by one person over a much shorter period of time. keep records on in-situ conditions and pre-mining changes. to other professionals as it provides a broad set of software. and training.com 36 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Surveyors at Voskhod-Oriel chromite mine. Commenting on how his department uses the software. We can do sectioning quickly and have effective visualisation of the process. and South Korea. We also have technical support in our native language. Surpac helps us run estimations quickly and validate mined volumes.” Volkov continues. Russia Ownership: Mechel NYSE Symbol: MTL Vokskhod-Oriel is owned by Russian company Mechel. a Russian-speaking mining professional from Gemcom visited us recently at the mine. Using Surpac it takes us a week to do this. Chief Mine Geologist Vyacheslav Volkov says: “We use Surpac to work with geological data. Before the introduction of the software work on volume estimation. About Voskhod-Oriel LLP Headquarters: Mosco. and power company with operations in Europe. Mine Planning Engineer Natalya Parkhomenko comments: “The solids modelling tools help us to resolve problems with volume and grade definition for stopes with a higher level of precision. Website: www. and mine design at the mine.” concludes Parkhomenko.mechel. Surpac is used in surveying. and the creation and plotting of sections. steel. This has enabled us to reduce the amount of time we spend on this task significantly. ” To ensure a seamless integration of the GEMS SQL Server database with existing data and software systems. with the aim of improving collaboration between our teams”. Geologist at Samarco.com 37 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s North-facing Visualisations wall of Northumberland’s of drillhole dataexisting in GEMS. Today. They currently rank second on the overseas pellet market. and planning data into one central location.samarco. and maximum return on investment at the company level.Samarco Relies on Gemcom GEMS™ Microsoft® SQL Server® Environment to Drive Productivity Through Better Data Management The Samarco project in southeast Brasil is an impressive integration of an open pit iron ore mine. for database work procedures. Even after implementation. “We can count on GEMS and SQL Server to provide us with an integrated. Mine Planning Superintendent at Samarco. and helped us complete all mapping. and by implementing the software we have been able to achieve greater security and reliability of our research and survey data. To support their sophisticated mining operations. As Resende continues. “The Gemcom team worked with us to establish effective workflows and dataflows between mining applications.” comments Luiz Eduardo Resende. all are unanimous in praising our Gemcom solution. geology. controlled in equal parts by shareholders Vale S.6 billion tons of iron ore mineral resources available. The Germano mine site has an estimated 5. In fact. Website: www. . Prior to using the GEMS SQL Server version. Samarco employed an Oracle database with custom application software. “The main reason for changing from on Oracle database to the GEMS SQL Server environment was due to a need for more powerful data management capabilities. naming conventions and workspaces. several pellet producing plants. “Choosing to upgrade GEMS to its SQL Server version was an easy decision for us because. combined with a need for faster processing speeds and increased user productivity.” comments Resende. database redesign. Headquarters: Belo Horizonte. pit. we have developed a loyal “Another important consideration was the fact that we wanted to ensure we could better organise all of our different projects. selling to over 15 countries worldwide. Minas Gerais. Samarco has long employed industry leading GEMS software as their primary geological modelling tool. Brasil Founded in 1977. adds Leonardo Bonfioli. a growing need for more powerful data management led Samarco to move to the GEMS Microsoft SQL Server database. however. The solution became obsolete. as the technology was unable to deal with the considerable increase in data volume. Accurate data and geological models are a key to our success. collaborative environment for effective information sharing between all user groups. two pipelines running 400 km long for slurry transport. With the updated technology it became possible for our geologists to work simultaneously on the same project information without risking data corruption. Gemcom professionals were available to ensure maximum productivity at the user level. About Samarco Mineração S.” concludes Resende. Samarco’s partnership with Gemcom began in 1998 when GEMS was selected for its user-friendly software environment and powerful modelling capabilities. the Gemcom services team was on hand from project planning through post implementation support. group of advanced users.A. and its own port facility at Ponta Ubu to facilitate worldwide finished product distribution. the GEMS SQL Server database enables collaborative information sharing between different user groups. having a long history with the software. and BHP Billiton. Samarco is a privately held Brasilian mining company. a natural progression in Samarco’s overall operational success. survey. giving a reserve life of nearly thirty years at current production rates.A. With a focus on iron ore. Nearly a decade later. Samarco specialises in transforming minerals with low ore content into valuable products with a high aggregated value. developed internally. At a broader business level. Tiger Resources Improves Copper Concentrate with Gemcom Surpac™ Tiger Resources’ Kipoi Project is located 75 kilometres northwest of Lubumbashi, the capital of Katanga Province, in the central part of the Katangan Copper Belt. The open pit operation is comprised of five copper deposits: Kipoi Central, Kipoi North, Kileba, Judeira and Kaminafitwe. Production at Kipoi commenced in April 2011. Production is on track to reach a targeted throughput level of 75,000 tonnes a month. The Kipoi Project uses Surpac for grade control, block modelling, creation of dig blocks, monthly reconciliation, geological mapping, mine planning and civil works. “Surpac has provided a solution to so many problems our operation has faced,” says Rhonny Kazembe, Chief Mine Geologist for Kipoi. Surpac has been most beneficial to the operation with regards to the quality of ore that they are extracting. Kazembe explains, “By using Surpac’s grade control results, we can locate ore according to grade category which allows us to maximise ore recovery while minimising dilution. The final concentrate results clearly demonstrate that Surpac has improved our separation of high grade ore from low grade ore. Our customers have been very happy with the quality of our copper concentrate.” Beyond grade control, the other Surpac features used by the Kipoi Project have also been very beneficial, and Kazembe says he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Surpac. “Apart from its grade control capabilities, I would definitely recommend Surpac to other geologists, for all of the ways in which we use it. Surpac is easy to use for creating dig blocks, and the Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) make reconciliation between the resource model and what was actually mined easy to review. Furthermore, geological mapping is simple with Surpac’s tools. I can use data from multiple sources to create solids structures which I can then easily view thanks to Surpac’s 3D environment.” Gemcom has also provided Surpac training at the Kipoi site, ensuring users are proficient in creating string and segment reports, digitising, plotting, triangulation, database management and block modelling. Additionally, Kazembe has found Gemcom’s Update Service and Technical Support program to be very beneficial, “I appreciate regularly receiving software updates and being able to contact Gemcom for assistance whenever I have any difficulties.” About Tiger Resources Ltd. Headquarters: Perth, Australia Symbols: ASX: TGS Tiger Resources Ltd. is an Australian-based company focused on the discovery and development of high-grade copper/cobalt deposits in the world renowned Africa Copper Belt in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Website: www.tigerresources.com.au 38 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Copper ore body modelled in Surpac. AIMROC experts turn to Gemcom GEMS™ for effective data management and modelling to support their Chovdar Gold Mine Project The Republic of Azerbaijan, located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, is home to the Chovdar Gold Mine Project, which AIMROC has a thirty year contract with the government to exploit. Seeking to maximise productivity, the highly qualified professionals at AIMROC chose Gemcom GEMS to provide collaborative geology and mine planning capabilities supporting crossfunctional teams. Prior to AIMROC’s adoption of GEMS, ore body, resource, and feasibility data was compiled on individual Excel spreadsheets, often isolating information between teams. Geologists and engineers lacked a centralised database allowing them access to organised, up-to-date geological and mine planning data. “GEMS enables access to data in a common platform,” comments Martin Barrette, GIS Database Manager with AIMROC. “We now have a central database that manages data and can sustain any independent audits. This has eliminated much data redundancy while increasing data integrity and accuracy.” Additionally, streamlined data flows and central data access improves collaboration, providing information when needed to speed decision making. “We are able to compile statistics and share data globally with people in other departments. Furthermore, data is properly secured and managed which means that the right data is always available,” says Barrette. Perhaps most importantly, success at Chovdar requires a strong modelling tool able to quantify, visualise and analyse mineral deposits. As Barrette explains, “Estimating resources in a complicated environment using old-fashioned ways took five weeks. Using GEMS, we can get the same amount of work accomplished in under five days by relying on the robust geological modelling tools to accelerate the process. It is vital for us to get it right and demonstrate competency in our work to key stakeholders and provide models and estimates in a professional manner.” With a long history of expertise in mine exploration, planning, and production, AIMROC professionals have relied on GEMS long before the Chovdar Mine Project began. As Barrette concludes, “Gemcom is world renowned for its software, services and solutions in the mining industry which is why we stay loyal to them over other mining software providers. They provide affordable software which is easy-to-use compared with other packages and employ staff who are always helpful, knowledgeable, and professional in their approach.” About AIMROC Headquarters: Baku, Azerbaijan AIMROC represents a consortium of investment firms founded for the financial support of mining projects in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Management includes experts from different countries who have unique experience in the exploration and processing of various ore deposits, including the gold-sulphide and porphyry copper deposits that occur in Azerbaijan. AIMROC was founded in 2007 and is led by geological company Londex Resources S.A. Website: www.aimroc.com 39 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Image showing a 3D view of the pit, ore zone, and proposed infrastructures. How Copper Mountain is bringing the Similco Mine back to life with Gemcom Software Copper Mountain Mining Corporation is a British Columbia based resource company that is bringing the Similco Mine back into production, after recently completing an independent feasibility study that confirmed its economic viability. The mine, which has been dormant for fifteen years, features a conventional open pit mine with a new 35,000 tonne per day mill. through particular aspects of the project that needed further detailed engineering. Critical components of this involved implementing drilling programs, wire framing, block modelling and confirmatory in-house resource estimation as well as pit optimisation and mine planning,” says Richard Joyes, Exploration Geologist, Copper Mountain Mining Corporation. To further investigate project improvements, Copper Mountain turned to Gemcom GEMS™ for geological modelling, resource estimation and mine planning, while Gemcom Whittle™ was employed to confirm optimised pit limits. Together, they saw the two systems as the most complete solution on the market for mining and exploration companies. Turning towards planning activities for the mine, Joyes says: “Gemcom’s services team and software has helped us gain a better understanding of how to implement our grade control procedures. It also enables us to look at various estimation methodologies and work out which procedure would best represent our data.” “With the software we were able to greatly enhance our in-house capability by managing our data and working Another aspect Joyes and the other geologists appreciate about the software is the Geostatistics module in GEMS. “The Geostatistics module improves our confidence in grade estimation. Drillhole data is relatively easy to manage, allowing quick and efficient updates to models,” says Joyes. PlotMaker is an important component of GEMS for Copper Mountain. It allows them to output the file formats they need to print and view plots, which helps them produce quality plans and sections for the geology and mining departments. Commenting on his experience with Gemcom’s support team, Joyes says: “I have phoned Gemcom for technical support issues on various topics. Their team is friendly, technically oriented, and knowledgeable, which means they understand the importance of quick and efficient solutions to mining-related problems.” About Copper Mountain Headquarters: Vancouver, Canada TSX Symbol: CUM Copper Mountain Mining Corporation is developing the Copper Mountain Project located 15 kilometres south of the town of Princeton in southern British Columbia. Website: www.cumtn.com “I recommend Gemcom’s software because it is userfriendly and specifically designed to meet the needs of exploration and mine geologists, and mining engineers.” — Richard Joyes, Exploration Geologist, Copper Mountain Mining Company. 40 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Copper Mountain’s Similco Mine. Geology and Mine Planning for Coal and other Stratified Deposits 41 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . Carbones del Cerrejón 42 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Panoramic view of Cerrejón’s Tabaco Pit. increasing annual recovered coal from 18 to 32 million tonnes over seven years Country: Colombia Objective: Maximise efficiency and productivity of coal mining operations in a highly complex environment to ensure competitiveness in the world market. Superintendent for Strategic Mine Planning and Geotechnics. cyclical monthly plans for 40 shovels of different sizes and applications in two to three weeks. complex stratified deposits to optimise the handling of reverse thrust faults and throughseam blasting. numerous reverse thrust faults. currently producing more than 11Mtpa of coal. quality parameters.Cerrejón achieves world-class coal mining with end-to-end Gemcom Minex™ solution One of the world’s largest earthmoving operations tames complex stratified deposit with Minex. Effectively plan mining operations at one of the world’s largest earthmoving operations. Approach: Employ Gemcom Minex software for surveying. leveraging Gemcom’s knowledge of and experience with large. the largest pit in the operation. Integration of required tools in one system minimises the risk of manual data import. Supports complex deposit which includes five different mining zones. “I believe Minex is technically the best software available for this type of complex deposit. with 250 million BCMs of material moved each year.” — Juliano Maran. and more than 40 coal seams. Business Benefits: Increased annual recovered coal from 18 million to 32 million tonnes over a seven-year period with no increase in the mine planning staff. geological modelling. and comprehensive mineral analysis. and all phases of planning. IT Improvements: Advanced 3D geological models represent coal and overburden volume. Create detailed. Improved modelling and mine planning capabilities have contributed to increase coal recovery of 4% over the last five years while achieving a calorific value (CV) of +/-10Btu/lb against the modelled CV. . 43 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Once the 3D model is created. Superintendent for Strategic Mine Planning and Geotechnics. modelling. “Any kind of manual re-entry always opens up room for error. The life-of-mine plan. but also dedicated rail and port facilities. Cerrejón uses Minex to lay out various pit shells and determine the optimal approach to development. the 60 million year–old Titanoboa cerrejonensis. and reverse thrust faults are common. Vice President of Technical Services. and calorific value) and a comprehensive mineral analysis. Other modules enable users to load boreholes from multiple sources. Waste rock excavation using hydraulic excavator and haul truck. The vast open pit coal mine in northeastern Colombia produces 32 million tonnes of coal annually. and blast design so we can manipulate data and interchange information freely. is rolled out to mid-range planners for five-year mine plan sequencing. and accepted. By any measure.” Cerrejón has relied on Minex since the mine started operation in the mid-1980s. Cerrejón moves a tremendous amount of material—some 250 million bank cubic metres (BCMs) per year—making it one of the largest earthmoving operations in the world. The value of this benefit is not lost on Sides. design dumps and roads. is jointly owned by Anglo American. Minex helps us avoid these risks. Detailed weekly and daily plans are also created. plotting. a cyclical process that takes approximately two to three weeks. The seams dip steeply in some areas. Cerrejón has increased coal recovery 4% over the last five years and has been able to achieve a CV of +/-10Btu/lb against the modelled CV.” says Steven Sides. analyse trends. our engineers generate high-quality maps. The deposit covers an area approximately 50 by 10 kilometres. were recently unearthed in one of the pits. Carbones del Cerrejón is huge. Cerrejón is as complex as it is massive. Standard features include graphics. Minex is used in the geology area and in all phases of mine planning. Finally. surface modelling. Approximately 40 different seams—ranging in thickness from 60 centimetres to over four metres.” End-to-end integrated solution A key benefit of Minex is the fact that so many capabilities are integrated into a single package. Cerrejón also values the fact that Minex interfaces easily with other end-user software and database products. sulphur. which is why the company uses powerful Minex software for geology and mine planning. . and CAD tools. and other information. “We literally hand these outputs to the production department.” Sides continues. which is updated annually. “I believe Minex is technically the best software available for this type of deposit. It represents one of the most complex stratified deposits and largest earthmoving operations in the world. schedule open pit mines. planning. and much more. BHP Billiton. the same holds true if you’re exchanging data electronically between systems with incompatible formats. optimise pit design. manage topographical data. Borehole information in a database form is imported into Minex. “Minex provides us with an integrated system for surveying. which becomes Cerrejón’s business plan. reports. verified. within which five different zones are mined concurrently.Coal mining on a mega-scale Carbones del Cerrejón (www. cerrejoncoal.” he says. but also quality parameters (for example. because we’d be mining in areas without proper planning or a clear understanding what the geology looks like. “Without Minex. “The dipping and faulting not only make mining more difficult— we have to mine across the strike in what we call an area fashion—but also the geological modelling becomes very complex. “With Minex. The driver behind all of this is Minex. and with thousands of data points for each structure—have been modelled and are presently being mined.” says Juliano Maran. Planning for 40 shovels At Cerrejón. and they implement the plans that have been developed.com). From there. lay out blasthole patterns. Cerrejón comprises not only the mine itself. The raw information is used to create a 3D geological model that represents a broad range of critical data—not just the volume of the coal and overburden. and Xstrata.” Using Minex along with operational improvements in the field. Cerrejón even boasts super-sized fossils: Vertebrae of the largest snake ever found. a world-class coal producing and exporting company. planners use Minex to produce a detailed month-by-month forecast for the first two years. short- range planners lay out monthly mine plans for 40 shovels of different sizes and applications.” He adds that Minex enhances productivity at Cerrejón by minimising the number of different applications his engineers need to learn. minimise dozer push distances. we would be very unproductive. ash. Field geologist working with highly complex geological model. thus providing us with a good picture of what it looks like before we get there. In order to uncover and export all this coal. “Minex allows us to see below the surface of the ground. from which the mine engineers can develop numerous mining alternatives. “There are not many software packages for geological modelling and mine planning that can handle reverse thrust faulting.The ability to evaluate different scenarios quickly with Minex is another essential feature of the product.” Sides concludes. “Once we’ve determined what the optimal shell looks like. Minex allows Cerrejón’s geologists to develop accurate geological models. One example is a special Minex module for through-seam blasting.” says Sides. steeply dipping seams is also critical. because it intersects the seams at different elevations. and this is one area in which Minex is superior to other products on the market. “The ability to deal with multiple. Using Minex. with no increase in the mine planning staff. Minex continues to provide the best integrated solution for the company. I don’t think any of the software that goes up against Minex would allow us to perform the modelling and planning in that same timely manner.” possible to identify the optimal location for the blast charges. When we get to them in the mining process. This flexibility has resulted in the selection and implementation of optimal mine plans. leading to an annual increase in recovered coal from 18 million to 32 million tonnes over a seven-year period. Carbones del Cerrejón Solutions at a Glance Another powerful Minex module focuses on reverse faulting. feasible mining plans that enable it to compete with producers that have more straightforward. you are either overstating or understating a tremendous amount of coal. and Sides particularly appreciates Gemcom’s responsiveness to his company’s unique needs.” says Sides. and Cerrejón is very fortunate to partner with a company like Gemcom.” Gemcom Services: Technical support Onsite training System configuration Software customisation Surveying crew in one of the pits collecting data to update the mine’s grids.” says Sides. A valuable partnership Cerrejón and Gemcom have enjoyed a synergistic relationship for many years. “Time is money. easily mined deposits. “If your model is not predicting these faults correctly. Minex makes it 44 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Final pit configuration of one of the seven pits in the current Cerrejón life-of-mine plan. and Minex will be a pivotal element in ensuring the company’s ongoing success. We are only as good as the vendors that serve us. Time is money The complexity of Cerrejón’s deposit presents special challenges vis-à-vis the worldwide coal market. each blasthole is designed differently. “Minex helps Cerrejón develop effective mine plans that can be utilised to make prudent business decisions. thereby minimising damage to the coal and maximising recovery. Minex meets the needs of our complex environment very well. The company must take all the reverse faults—not to mention the various dips.” Although Cerrejón regularly evaluates alternative mine planning software. . the boreholes are logged and the seam locations are entered into the computer.” says Sides. anticlines. and synclines—and develop meaningful. “Minex allows us to accurately predict reverse faults and associated tonnages. a technique that Cerrejón uses routinely because of the high number of steep dipping coal seams. we have an excellent idea what the outcomes will be. “Any software that helps us do our job faster and more thoroughly will deliver a competitive advantage.” Primary Applications: Gemcom Minex Cerrejón is already working on plans to expand annual production well beyond the current 32 million tonnes. rolls. “It gives us an important edge as we compete with other producers around the world. assessing the relative advantages of different mining sequences is fairly straightforward. 740-hectare mining operation. South Africa. multi-seam geology and associated quality parameters.Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Mine models complex geology with Gemcom Minex™ Minex handles huge data volumes. Maximises client satisfaction by helping to meet rigorous specifications with narrow tolerances. Provides the flexibility required to produce critical information from raw data in the shortest possible time. Approach: Utilise Gemcom Minex software for geological modelling and medium. 45 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s .696 quality grids. Business Benefits: Effectively supports Exxaro’s long-time mining activities in South Africa’s Waterberg coalfield. I do not think we would ever get a model of this magnitude out without Minex. which includes excellent reporting features. as the mine has expanded from two to six products. “The complexity of the multiseam geology and its associated quality parameters makes Minex an essential part of our modelling efforts. Minex handles huge data volumes. Senior Geologist.” — Callie Van Heerden.and short-term planning. Grootegeluk Mine. User-friendly Minex software delivers accuracy and consistency for full confidence in the output. Exxaro Grootegeluk Mine. including 81 bench structure grids and more than 5. helping Exxaro’s flagship mine to exploit the vast resources of South Africa’s Waterberg Coalfield Country: South Africa Objective: Maximise quality and production through accurate modelling of complex coal reserves in order to meet stringent client specifications. IT Improvements: Ability to create a complete mine plan in 3-4 weeks for huge. creating superior bench structure and quality models in a multi-seam coal environment that produces 18 million tonnes per annum. Advanced 3D graphics provide staff with a solid interpretation of “behind-the-scenes” mathematics. Enables accurate modelling of complex. producing 18 million tonnes per annum of power station. and semisoft coking coal.424 million tonnes and a total measured coal resource of 4. 46 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Qualities in the 12 coal and coal-bearing seams are modelled in 13 different density fractions for life-of-mine scheduling purposes.” Grootegeluk is a massive operation. “The new model will have 58 seams in total. . via a process of drilling. I do not think we would ever get a model of this magnitude out without Minex.” Van Heerden anticipates that. The Waterberg Coalfield has an east-west striking length of approximately 88km.” Grootegeluk needs the most powerful and accurate geological modelling tool available. Combining different seams to form new bench scenarios will enable us to optimise production from the mine and product qualities from the plants. “We started with just two coal products. It takes one person approximately three to four weeks to create a bench structure model for the mine. blasting.160 grids.Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Mine exploits abundant Waterberg coalfield Situated 25 km from Lephalale in South Africa’s Limpopo province. yielding a total of 81 grids in the bench structure model. Furthermore.exxaro. Minex always gives me the same result—and if something is right. “This expansion created a clear need for computerised geological modelling to handle our multi-seam coal environment.” he recalls. with 760 boreholes used in the most current geological model. loading and hauling with truck and shovel fleets. but we expanded to six different products fairly quickly. yielding 1.116 million tonnes. upgrading 7. as well as the user-friendly nature of the program. This translates into 17 different mining horizons or benches.” This insight will come in handy as Van Heerden moves from the existing bench model to a more complex seam model. and semi-soft coking coal products using a conventional truck and shovel operation. The mine has an estimated minable coal reserve of 3.” he explains. by mining ‘better’ intervals. Senior Geologist at Grootegeluk.” he continues. Mining consists of a series of parallel benches.600 tonnes per hour of run-of-mine coal in six different plants. as well as an unweathered and a weathered overburden horizon. but also extends westward into Botswana. metallurgical. “The results of the behind-the-scenes mathematics are displayed in the graphics window. or something has changed in the data or methodology.” he says. a floor. This high level of accuracy is especially important in view of the stringent specifications and narrow tolerances imposed by many of Grootegeluk’s clients. Each mining horizon has a roof. you know that you are either doing something wrong.” says Callie Van Heerden.560 quality grids for proximate analysis. you can take it to the bank.696 grids and counting.com) employs 1. was part of the decision-making process that led to the purchase of Minex. according to Van Heerden—and once it’s done. A full succession borehole holds 12 coal zones and 5 interburden waste seams.800 people and produces more than 18 million tonnes per annum of thermal. resulting from specific combinations of the 76 coal and a non-coal samples. and a thickness grid. metallurgical. It boasts the world’s largest beneficiation complex. a Mine Planner at Grootegeluk. Product qualities. coupled with its excellent reporting features. the flexible seam model will make it possible for Grootegeluk to expand the number of highvalue products that can be produced from the same deposit. “The sample qualities are combined to yield the seam qualities. Exxaro’s open pit Grootegeluk Mine (www. thereby saving money and increasing profitability Many reasons to choose Minex Japie Kruger. “If the output is different. “When you reproduce something with the same data and methodology. “The complexity of the multi-seam geology and its associated quality parameters makes Minex an essential part of our modelling efforts. complemented by a north-south width of ± 40km within the Republic of South Africa. it’s right. The advanced 3D capabilities of Minex also win praise from Van Heerden. add another 1. optimising the utilisation of production equipment means that more tonnes can be mined with the same equipment. modelled for short-term planning. Bench structure and quality models Grootegeluk’s data volumes are daunting. advanced progressively in a westward direction across the reserve. Minex always renders the same answer. We were very impressed with the graphics capabilities and output of Minex. “You can utilise the graphical display to check your work as you go along. The existing mine footprint covers an area in excess of 740 hectares. Minex is the Grootegeluk Mine’s software of choice for this critical task because it has been designed to handle rigorous challenges posed by complex deposits. “Our bench quality model comprises 5. Grootegeluk Mine is a multi-bench surface coal mine operation established in the shallow coal portion of the Waterberg Coalfield. View of Grootegeluk Mine. so you always have a feel for what is happening in the modelling process.” Also key were the SQL and grid arithmetic functions of the software. and possibly a third about the size we are currently. “Only the most important items. manage the backfilling operation. . It was designed for modelling stratified deposits. By contrast.” says Kruger. which is currently under construction.and short-term planning. were catered for. and finalise medium.Prior to acquiring Minex. we should be running at nearly 96 million tonnes ex-pit. in order to satisfy the mine’s needs.” Exxaro’s Grootegeluk Mine Solutions at a Glance Primary Application: Gemcom Minex Gemcom Services: Technical support Training Expanding into the future Grootegeluk looks forward to the possibility of enhanced integration between geology and mine planning with Minex. “Waterberg will be one of the major mining centres in South Africa.” says Mineral Resources Manager Adam Wieruszowski. Minex can do ever ything that I want to do.” Grootegeluk will play a significant role in South Africa’s energy provision in the future by supplying coal to state-owned electricity utility Eskom’s Medupi power station. Minex is pivotal for ensuring that these valuable resources are evaluated accurately and mined efficiently. this would involve combining unique beneficiation capabilities with the mining and backfilling process.” Improvements in short-term operational production planning—including resource planning on a shift basis to optimise mining equipment and plant beneficiation strategy— are also anticipated.” says Van Heerden.” concludes Van Heerden. Minex gives us flexibility and enables us to produce critical information from raw data in the shortest possible time. “Among other things. Conveyor belt moving coal. “It is a nice package to work with. on a strategic as well as an operational level. and it is recognised worldwide for this purpose. “We hope to improve net present value with proactive utilisation of the different modules to streamline our thinking and decisionmaking. This year we’re planning for roughly 56 million tonnes ex-pit—total material shoveled out of the area—and within roughly four years. The brownfield expansion of the mine is on schedule. Grootegeluk values the power and accuracy of Minex software in supporting its ambitious production targets and future 47 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Coal product stockpiles. “The Waterberg Coalfield is unique. “We are currently looking at two mines in the planning phase. the mine relied on Seamsys and in-house programming based on user needs. “Minex is used by the world leaders in the coal mining industr y. plans.” Minex is also used to populate the mine reserves database.” says Kruger. like the mine’s initial product qualities. with unique opportunities which Exxaro wants to capture. We will continue to grow from there. “We’re going to extend this deposit quite intensively. “Not everything could be handled. and it is quite impressive in terms of its capabilities.” There will be plenty of opportunity to put Minex to the test in the years ahead. Business Benefits: Efficient working processes among planning. Integration with global positioning and surveying systems. field control and reclamation. IT Improvements: Significantly shorter report and map generation. Streamlined management of growing data volumes. Topaz Mine Manager. 48 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Topaz Mine. Informed business judgments and investment decisions based on valid information. we would need more engineering and field control personnel.Beryllium producer fortifies mining operations with Gemcom Minex™ software Brush Resources capitalises on Minex’s versatility for mining and extracting a unique mineral ore Countries: United States Objective: Enhance bertrandite mine planning. scheduling.” — John Wagner. estimation. Utah . “Minex pays for itself by minimising our staffing requirements. Improved management and efficiency of mine operations. operations and engineering groups. Approach: Implement the Gemcom Minex geology and mine planning software for seam modelling. Seamless data transfer. Brush Resources Inc. Without Minex. Creation of dynamic opportunities for ore development. Minex boosts personal productivity At 4 cubic yards of overburden per pound of beryllium. they rendered approximately 200. According to Wagner. scientific and nuclear products because of its high melting point. produces a wide range of beryllium and non-beryllium materials for advanced markets. a capable seven-person staff ensures an uninterrupted supply of bertrandite to the company’s extraction plant. Standing out from the pack were the Minex specialists. They assemble geological models for varying grades of beryllium. Map data and report output can easily be transferred to AutoCAD or Excel spreadsheets as needed for field personnel or for forwarding to other company departments. A solid foundation with Minex Wagner’s team uses Gemcom Minex software effectively to accomplish their mission of supplying bertrandite to Brush Wellman. To enable a good return on the parent company’s capital investments. beryllium can be applied in medical. global in scope and publicly traded. Brush formed Brush Laboratories. the mine’s strip ratio is high. reflectivity and X-ray transparency. Blast at the Topaz mine. suitability to handle sampling data on extensively faulted areas. . The staff leverages the software for high-level permitting and the planning stages for the ground work. During the last stripping job in 2007. employees also apply a certain data construction methodology. as well as determine mining sequences and materials needed in the sequences. Strip ratios are used extensively in Minex to evaluate economic open pit areas. create ground control field maps. We could see that a high level of support would be available and that gave us the confidence to adopt Minex. Brush Resources has the task of mining bertrandite mineral (a hydrous beryllium silicate) at the company’s only operating open pit mine in the TopazSpor Mountain region of Utah. Versatile software handles unique mineral Topaz personnel tap Minex for a range of activities – from life-of-mine planning to high-level reclamation.” Wagner says.000 tonnes of ore. and the capability to meld with the company’s growing sampling database. which lie under a series of different rock types. which will produce more than 1 million pounds of beryllium. “Beryllium is valuable and versatile for use in many finished products. “They took an interest in our property and put in extra time and energy analysing our problem.. with the Minex expertise developed in-house over the years. It has worked well for us. with sufficient reserves based on present production rates to last in excess of 100 years. The Brush organisation. Now the mine is the largest source of bertrandite in North America. However. After creating the reclamation model in Minex. reaches back to the late 19th century when Charles F. They identify ore zones. Under the direction of Mine Manager John Wagner. “The deposit is relatively low-grade ore [70/100s of 1 percent Beryllium Oxide] lying on an inclined slope. After exposing the ore feed.” says Wagner. Today that beryllium venture is known as Brush Wellman Inc. superior thermal conductivity. With the conversion of the Minex geological model into a mining model.” Wagner explains.North America’s leading bertrandite miner The history of Brush Resources Inc. quantify resources. For its part. aerospace. Minex has remained a prominent part of the crew’s toolset since 1993. the crew conducts sampling in preparation for mining and stockpiling. we must manage considerable data to control the ore and manage our stripping operations. which specialised in beryllium commercialisation and the acoustic use of Rochelle salt crystals. The company specified key criteria for the software: attractive pricing. Before the company purchased Minex. but Minex allows us to streamline data management. the details and amount of data increase. the company submits it to government agencies to obtain the required environmental permits. The software’s versatility simplifies data flow for critical ground control and intensive secondary sampling during primary stripping. The mining properties opened in 1969. Brush managers examined a number of vendors. Minex is particularly effective in planning. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brush Engineered Materials Inc. 49 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Brush also aspired to partner with a vendor that would provide thorough training and prompt support. along with ore sampling. defense. Therefore. Back when they were deciding on a software package. which along with Brush Resources. the company now requires fewer staff on site. which is located about 47 miles from the mining site. a team of staff members worked on engineering details on a full-time basis. It’s an ongoing engineering process. Using the software for short-term planning enables ore and overburden exposure and reconciliation. excellent cryogenic properties. ” adds Rob Dalton. Brush Resources Solutions at a Glance “By being able to show this information onscreen to others. making it easy to export Minex results to create digital terrain models. our employees can go out in the field. If we didn’t have the software. An efficient working process Interfacing with third-party technology is an important 50 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Topaz mine team. Minex benefit.” Wagner notes. they gain more understanding of our mining needs and issues.” Additionally. “The software creates a more dynamic opportunity for recovering the ore. One employee can do all the surveying in a fraction of the time that it used to take two. only two of us are needed to work on all of the engineering parttime. Minex illustrations also help Brush determine the feasibility of future capital investments at the Topaz mine. Trimble Geomatics Office surveying software Trimble GPS system Most importantly. The combination of Minex and the GPS survey system working together has streamlined the engineering side of the mining operation. “The graphical capability of Minex helps us visualise multiple options and gain a better understanding of what is going to occur in the field. survey. “As our leadership views the information. The integration of Minex with the Trimble global positioning system (GPS) aids data movement between field activities and engineering planning. Consequently.” Wagner says. Mine Supervisor. but so too are its visualisation components. This makes the decision process for capital projects more direct. Among the features cited are user-friendly interfaces with third-party software like Trimble Geomatics Office. return to the office. That’s a high-level value of the Minex software.” Wagner says.” Wagner says. “Because Minex integrates with our GPS data and we can efficiently move data between the office and field. look at the survey data in the Minex model. they can make faster informed operational decisions. we would have to increase our staff. the ability to evaluate different approaches helps the staff make smarter tactical decisions about how to segregate the ore into different parcels for sending it to the mill. operations and planning personnel. . and investment decisions move up through the organisation. which has contributed to fluid and efficient workflows at the Topaz mine. We run through many different mining configurations and scenarios. “It is a powerful function. “The software is quick and efficient for viewing information in the database or the geological model.“Since we brought in Minex to streamline data management. and in a short time. helping technical and non-technical staff better understand them. we have built an efficient working process between our engineering. This saves us time. The process is more expedient and takes less effort than doing so manually. AutoCAD Primary Applications: Gemcom Minex Microsoft Excel Gemcom Services: Software deployment Training Technical support Helpful interfaces with other systems Wagner says that Gemcom augments Minex with a rich slate of data interoperability features. Sophisticated graphical and 3D viewing features shed light on the land structure and mining processes. Quick data output to reports and maps is another important benefit enjoyed by the busy staff.” Wagner concludes.” Dalton explains. who conducts short-term mine planning. co.” adds Ginting. Of course. PT Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk. Mining Engineering. choosing the ones that are best suited to our profit strategy and to market conditions.” says Ginting.” “One of the great things about Minex is that it enables us to make informed decisions on mine planning strategy based not only on technical data but also on economic conditions.” says Ginting. we appreciate Minex’s ability to produce information visually and in reports they can all understand. “Since we need to communicate decisions and information to different types of stakeholders throughout our organisation. The company is also a top domestic producer and a global exporter of the commodity. “Many different types of individuals are involved in making business decisions. They now have their sights set on growing as a world-class company with help from Gemcom’s Minex software. One engineer can accomplish a pit design in hours. With mineable reserves of approximately 7. speaking as an engineer. optimise our pit designs. We have also seen our share price rise 67%. Its aim is to develop Indonesia’s national mining industry. PT Bukit Asam ranks as one of the largest coal producers in the country. We can. Indonesia PT Bukit Asam is a publicly traded company whose majority shareholder is the government. our organisation has received approval of our mining strategy. or 17% of the total coal reserves in Indonesia. including coal. so we wanted to ensure that the results produced by the software we employed could be readily used by stakeholders across the organisation.ptba.” says Resti Natalia Ginting. Minex users at PT Bukit Asam find that they have improved how they do their jobs. compared to months without the software. enabling us to know all aspects of the system. About PT Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk Headquarters: Sumatera Selatan.” concludes Ginting. Founded in 1981. . for example. Website: www. including many who do not come from mining backgrounds. “With help from Minex. we were also interested in having software that would streamline our tasks. “We selected Minex as our geology and mine planning solution because of its trusted.id 51 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s PT Bukit Asam coal mining operation. international reputation. it is one of the largest coal producers in the country. The training and implementation services Gemcom provided have also played a key role in our success in this regard. “We have realised significant time and cost savings because Minex enables us to do our jobs faster. The software’s powerful 3D display is particularly helpful when communicating to the stakeholoders what we are doing.3 billion tons.Leading Indonesian coal miner PT Bukit Asam depends on Gemcom Minex™ to drive business strategy In the rapidly growing Indonesian coal mining sector. In addition to the business benefits. Mine Scheduling G O L D E N S TA R R E S O U R C E S LT D. 52 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . PT Petrosea Tbk 53 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Mine operations at GBP Coal. automatic output of Gantt charts. Creation of backup plans that can save on unused equipment costs. Indonesia. and many other factors to continuously drive the best results out of the rolling schedule. Approach: Use Gemcom MineSched software to determine the best way to mine. East Kalimantan. Modern. efficient equipment utilisation. Optimisation of hauling distances and overburden management. To do this we need a good scheduling package. contingency planning. tables. that’s for sure. and user-friendly interfaces. taking into account water management. IT Improvements: Ability to avoid errors that occur with manual scheduling. you have the potential to lose millions of dollars if you’re not managing your operations right. haul distances. minimises risks. quality requirements. and graphs. Approximately one-third fewer staff required compared to manual scheduling. High-quality visualisation for improved project accuracy and efficiency. Flexibility to create contingency plans to manage unexpected events and mitigate costs. We can’t do without MineSched. and enhances productivity with Gemcom MineSched™ Leading contract mining enterprise saves millions of dollars across their contracts with improved open pit mine scheduling capabilities Country: Indonesia Objective: Quickly create and refine rolling schedules to ensure the most efficient. . easy-to-learn.PT Petrosea lowers costs. “In this business. economical mining operations.” — Adrian Stewart. Technical Services Manager for Mining and Mine Services. Ability to visualise pit designs to ensure accurate estimation of mining projects. boosts efficiency. Quick. Business Benefits: Better planning and more efficient utilisation of expensive mining fleets. dump optimisation. along with equipment and quality requirements. graphs. excavators and trucks can often stand idle— but not when powerful scheduling software like MineSched has been employed to create viable contingency plans. In this business. The state of East Kalimantan in Indonesia gets around three metres of rain every year. MineSched then calculates the most efficient sequence for mining the coal. in order to ensure an acceptable balance between cost and profit. Having a backup plan in case a working area becomes unavailable can save on unused equipment costs. Petrosea receives a 12-month pit shell from each of its clients. and discovered that due to mine sequencing the client had not given us enough area to dump the overburden. Petrosea can count on MineSched to help resolve complex issues in a timely manner. you have the potential to lose millions of dollars on a contract if you’re not managing your operations right. productivity goals. and the client provided us a pit shell that involved mining down to 150 metres. including the topography. ran the scenario. For PT Petrosea Tbk. the top and floor of the coal. Currently. If we had run that scenario in Excel. Stewart and his team can also ensure that another area is available for mining if needed. and they’re all open pit coal mines. contingency planning is one of the most important benefits that MineSched delivers. and the like— reduce risk even further. land compensation issues. We can’t do without MineSched. The visualisation and calculation capabilities of the software—combined with the automatic output of Gantt charts. pit dimensions. involves modifying their final pit walls. The data is imported into MineSched from the client’s geological modelling software.” With MineSched. most mine owners are looking to boost efficiency by cutting back their strip ratios. and how deep the pit is going to be. and the best way to ensure that coal quality meets all specifications. where to put the sumps during the wettest months. “We can’t afford to lose any time.Contract mining expertise Jakarta. To do this we need a good scheduling package. and easily reallocate equipment to another area or project. in turn. As one of Indonesia’s leading engineering and construction contractors. this. what quality we mine. Mining jobs are all different.petrosea. that’s a lot of money—millions of dollars that we saved thanks to MineSched.” says Adrian Stewart. and specific production targets.” says Stewart. MineSched decreases the risk of costly formatting and formula errors. the company has been listed on the Jakarta and Surabaya Stock Exchanges (now the Indonesian Stock Exchange) since 1990 and was the first publicly listed engineering and construction company in Indonesia. “We have three contract mining projects in East Kalimantan (Sanga Sanga Mine. In East Kalimantan. GBP Coal. “We’re currently estimating a project. “In today’s economic environment we are constantly revising factors such as where we mine. In addition. whose core business is contract mining. “We put the data into MineSched. We’ve always got to be thinking ahead. Having the equipment on standby for even one day would cost us thousands of dollars. complete with 3D graphical displays and all necessary charts and graphs. Technical Services Manager for Mining and Mine Services at Petrosea. validate their economic viability. water management factors. we can run different options quickly and work out how to save money. this often takes the form of failures.” The ability to visualise the pit design in MineSched enabled Stewart and his team to spot the problem immediately and avoid submitting a seriously flawed bid on the project.com) is a multi-disciplinary engineering. Over a seven-year job on a mining project. When torrential downpours fill the coal mining pits. Petrosea must reschedule mining operations—and this always brings up new issues.” “Using MineSched. Boosting efficiency Petrosea uses MineSched for much more than contingency planning.” says Stewart. Petrosea personnel can continuously adjust and refine the parameters in MineSched to achieve the best possible plan. lower risk MineSched also helps Petrosea save money by enhancing staff productivity. Mine operations at Sanga Sanga mine in Indonesia. such as how to optimise haul distances. that’s for sure. dump management. 54 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Under the terms of its standard contracts. and a good scheduling package like MineSched minimises our risk significantly because we can schedule various mining sequences. it would probably take three times as many people to accomplish the same work manually in Microsoft® Excel®. Lower cost. Every time the pit shell is adjusted. and the optimal strip ratio based on the client’s financial analysis. According to Stewart. breakdowns. allowing the company to take advantage of equipment already on hand. Santan Batubara). but they have one thing in common: the unexpected is sure to happen. and mining company with a track record of achievement since 1972. construction. and we could have submitted our price based on that presumption. Indonesia-based PT Petrosea Tbk (www. and deviations due to excessive . the plan would probably have looked feasible. tables. groundwater. We’ll be putting fewer hours on the drills by planning their activities more effectively using MineSched. which Petrosea uses for estimating. This capability is particularly critical for accurate project estimating. “The software is very user-friendly and logical. the staff imports Surpac data directly into MineSched. competent mining engineers at Petrosea—probably some of the best mining engineers in Indonesia—and they like using MineSched.” Primary Application: Gemcom MineSched Gemcom Surpac Gemcom Services: Technical support In addition. and replicability across our operation. “For example. “It’s also quite easy to set up the schedules. “Now the haul distances can drop straight out of the schedule. and the related costs.” MineSched already is used for blending to ensure the correct sulfur and energy content of the coal coming out of the Santan Batubara mine in East Kalimantan. If we keep the clients happy. Gemcom continually enhances the MineSched interface. It integrates seamlessly with Gemcom Surpac™ software. “Once we start using MineSched for drill and blast. Stewart is particularly pleased with the latest version of the MineSched product. “It’s a tool that gives us solutions quickly. the task can usually be accomplished in about a day—which is much faster than it would be using other methods. the software is also employed for backfilling pits. with good icons and powerful visualisation. With MineSched. and mine planning. Gemcom added this critical feature to MineSched quickly to meet Petrosea’s need.” Partners in success Along with supplying proven technology. we expect to see even more effective utilisation of equipment. With MineSched. which saves time and minimises data rekeying and potential errors. It also keeps our clients happy.” PT Petrosea Tbk Solutions at a Glance According to Stewart. MineSched is a pivotal element in this scenario and in our success. PT Petrosea staff at GBP Coal mine in Indonesia. clients need to make sure they’re getting the coal out on time—when we say they will get it and with the right quality.” he says. . are frequently moved around to different work locations. Importantly. Stewart and his team must develop new schedules and plans quickly. MineSched and Surpac work in unison. we could lose money. then they’re going to give us more work.” says Stewart. “MineSched creates efficiency. how far they’re moving it. Especially in today’s economy. surveying.” he explains. In the near future. for example. Says Stewart: “If we didn’t have a product that could cope with those unforeseen occurrences quickly. We have a team of good. moving two more essential functions out of their Excel environment. MineSched is critical to the success of Petrosea’s contract mining business. MineSched helps us manage the unexpected. For example. as contract miners must know how much material they are moving. Petrosea needed to calculate haul distances from dig location to dump destination. we have drills that 55 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s View overlooking the GBP Coal mine. Stewart plans to add drill and blast to the scheduling tasks handled by MineSched. we’re giving them a powerful tool that they need to do their jobs.” he concludes. because we can tailor the schedules to their needs. predictability. Gemcom is an active partner in ensuring Petrosea’s continued success. When such an event occurs. planning. the mine is designed around the stopes using Surpac’s modelling tools and then scheduled using MineSched. Web site: www. A typical project will start with drillhole data being imported into Surpac.” he adds. and scheduling. and scheduling solution Python Mining Consultants is a Canadian-based firm specialising in mine design. Once the schedule is completed.Supporting a global customer base with a Gemcom mine design. it is possible to quickly run multiple options and see the resulting economic values. working with software from the largest global supplier of mining productivity solutions is a major advantage for them. This block model can be used along with costing data from the mine site to create economic stope models. Further. Python Mining Consultants. MineSched has enabled us to accomplish development and production scheduling faster and with greater ability to run sensitivities on different options. “We chose Gemcom’s Surpac and MineSched solution due to its widespread use in the mining industry and for the ease of data movement between the two applications.” concludes Drennan. outputs of data are created by MineSched for use in the final technical report. Technical Consultant. Python Mining Consultants find Gemcom’s software particularly helpful in many aspects of the technical reports they produce. With a wide variety of different project types and customers. scheduling issues can be dealt with by looking at several competing designs and performing various rate sensitivities on them. Canada Python Mining Consultants provides all the engineering services necessary to perform basic scoping studies. Next. “The schedule can be run using different scenarios to find a near optimal solution.” comments Drennan. planning.pythonminingconsultants. pre-feasibility. “Automation of tasks and workflows is another aspect of Gemcom’s software that we appreciate. By using standard financial analysis in a MineSched template. using the data generated in Surpac and MineSched for scoping.ca 56 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Stopes and development for an underground gold project. One of the most useful features of Surpac is the ability to create custom macros to automate many processes.and shortterm schedules for surface and underground mining operations.” says Martin Drennan. having all aspects of the design process in one solution allows changes to any one part quickly and easily. “An additional benefit of Gemcom’s software is how it helps us is in solving optimisation problems by creating various design options and running many scheduling scenarios quickly. which they use to create a block model using the software’s geostatistics and block modelling features. They work with North American and global companies of all types and sizes to produce long. Similarly. to full feasibility work. and feasibility studies. . About Python Mining Consultants Headquarters: Hamilton. and everything in between. Website: www.adamusresources. “MineSched allowed us to quickly build and modify a material flow network. they have utilised MineSched to transform their scheduling practices.” Scheduling at Nzema Gold had previously been a time consuming process involving a customised spreadsheet scheduler.” “We chose Gemcom because its software is intuitive and easy to learn. The number of mining engineer consultant visits to the mine has been reduced. “We can create a schedule with a push of a button. video. FSE: AXM Adamus Resources is Ghana’s newest gold producer. intuitively graphically assign mining resources.Adamus Resources Ltd. TSXV: ADU. Australia Symbols: ASX: ADU.” Amoh concludes.” About Adamus Resources Headquarters: Perth.” Amoh says that MineSched is easy to learn and use. as a new mine.” says Samuel Amoh. Mine Planning Engineer. and also widely used throughout the mining industry.au MineSched scheduling report for Nzema Gold. and also allows us to confidently generate multiple scenarios in very little time. MineSched has also significantly increased company efficiency. medium and long range scheduling. Current estimates show the project to have a minimum life of ten years and produce an average of 100.000 oz of gold per year. and the automation of tasks means fewer personnel are needed in the planning department. and I would recommend Gemcom Software to any mine I work for. Solves Scheduling Constraints with Gemcom MineSched™ Adamus Resources Limited owns 90% of the Nzema Gold Project located in Ghana. “It’s a fast growing and innovative company. and knowledge base available on the Gemcom Support website make it very user-friendly. He continues. we purchased numerous software licenses and Gemcom was accommodating in organising on site training for all users.com. and found the ability to run MineSched for specific scheduling periods to be a particularly beneficial recent innovation.” He adds. The project is being developed as an open pit mining operation. Implementing MineSched solved their scheduling constraints and automated a number of routine processes. West Africa. easily define material ratio targets on stockpiles and processes. In addition to benefitting from Gemcom Surpac™ and Gemcom Whittle™. focused on realising the economic potential of the 90% owned Nzema Gold Project. and also includes a processing facility and associated infrastructure to mine and process ore. visually evaluate and validate mining locations and immediately analyse scheduling results with customisable charts and reports. Also. “The comprehensive tutorials. 57 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . Adamus Resources. “MineSched has drastically reduced time spent on short. “I check the website frequently for updates and tutorials. com 58 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s A typical MineSched schedule display output.” says Ruth Menz. . The software has other useful features that minimise scheduling errors.” “The results MineSched produces can be easily shared with others who do not use the software. this has allowed them to reduce significantly the time needed for scheduling. In addition. MineSched data can be easily used in follow-on analysis and reporting. the mine site turned to Gemcom’s MineSched software. “It’s more efficient and ensures there are no errors when defining the block model attributes. Menz likes the fact that she no longer has to manually input block model attributes.” concludes Menz. Golden Star has been able to improve scheduling at the Bogoso/Prestea operation. which include the Bogoso/Prestea Gold Mine. GSE: GSR Golden Star Resources Limited is a fast-growing gold mining company with operating mines located on the prolific Ashanti Gold Belt in Ghana. Bogoso/Prestea Gold Mine. such as the schedule set up.. Since implementing MineSched. They now follow their 18 month scheduling plan with a weekly schedule that is renewable at the end of each month. Website: www.gsr. it’s so easy to use that it has increased my confidence and passion for scheduling. which provides more time for other engineering computations. West Africa. “We use MineSched for weekly. MineSched has also helped increase our efficiency. Mining Engineer. They have a total historical production of over two million ounces of gold. G O L D E N S TA R R E S O U R C E S LT D. All told.” states Menz. which provides the total material from any particular section so the engineer does not have to run a block model report. the software’s seamless workflows have reduced errors as there is no longer a need to manually input block model attributes. It is a user-friendly product that is easy to set up and learn.Golden Star Resources relies on easy to use Gemcom MineSched™ software to drive mine scheduling improvements Golden Star Resources Limited is a gold mining company over a quarter-century old. and long-term scheduling. The company has an aggressive growth strategy for exploration and expansion activities at its properties. Its ability to output to various formats such as Microsoft Excel and Project is particularity helpful. “With the software we are able to set realistic targets for the company and we know the life-of-mine at any point in time in just a few clicks. USA Symbols: NYSE Amex: GSS. About Golden Star Resources Headquarters: Littleton. Wanting user-friendly scheduling software. In fact. Golden Star Resources Ltd. TSX: GSC. saving us costs and reducing scheduling time. This has enabled us to spend more time using the end results it outputs. mid-range. Strategic Mine Planning 59 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . . Business Benefits: Optimisation of ultimate pit shapes/shells to maximise long-term mine value. Resource to facilitate improved staff collaboration and knowledge sharing. Adoption of common operating processes across groups. United States IT Improvements: Software consistency across operations and commodities. Trustworthy results to guide open pit analyses and detailed planning. Approach: Adopt Gemcom Whittle™ as part of the company’s standard software solution for open pit optimisation. India. Peru. Canada. 60 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Bingham Canyon Copper Mine. Whittle has helped the staff advance Rio Tinto’s strategy of converting ore bodies into long-life. Brazil. efficient operations that can sustain the company through business cycles. Over the years.Rio Tinto fuels mine planning and pit optimisation globally with Gemcom Whittle™ Rio Tinto Group makes Whittle part of its standard strategic mine planning solution Countries: Australia. Indonesia. Objective: Designate a suite of strategic mine planning tools for a variety of open pit ore bodies across various company sites. which reduces maintenance and support. Streamlined technology footprint. Utah. Retention of personnel skills and knowledge during transfers or redeployments. Namibia. The geology of the Pilbara region is characterised by late Archaean and early Proterozoic rock formations known as the “Hamersley Group. It had proved beneficial for long-term planning and conducting feasibility studies for Rio Tinto’s large. geology. Geometry is an issue in iron ore mining. With diverse operations in many areas. diamonds.riotinto. Whittle provides a baseline for the economic assessment around ore extraction from a large open pit. Australia. in commodities such as copper. talc and titanium dioxide. which Whittle helps solve.Adopting an industry leader Rio Tinto Group is an international mining organisation combining Rio Tinto plc. aluminum and iron ore. the company depends on its Technology and Innovation group to help guide its decisions on leading practices and technology use. a London-listed public company (LONDON: RIO. Beneficial for long-term planning Aerial view of Rio Tinto iron ore mine. ore grades and other factors. the Pilbara mines can produce up to 220 million tonnes of iron ore annually. 61 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Rio Tinto is aiming for the best opportunities possible for all of its mines. which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (AUS: RIO. efficient operations that can sustain the company through business cycles. scheduling. This strategy has generated interests in many of the world’s largest mineral deposits. Canada and Brazil. including salt. The software allows the determination of the maximum pit shell shape and size to mine. Whittle has helped the staff advance Rio Tinto’s strategy of converting ore bodies into long-life. economic and mining constraints regarding their pit designs. where beneficiation or concentration occurs to enhance ore quality.” which contain several large units of Banded Iron Formation. The solutions contained in Whittle help engineers and planners understand the economic assumptions in a consistent way. Western Australia. and geological modelling.AX) with executive offices in Melbourne. with development projects in India and Guinea. The team makes the adjustments. open pit mines. The group stays abreast of the latest innovations that will give Rio Tinto a competitive advantage and drive performance improvements in mine design. Rio Tinto (www. borates. and Rio Tinto Limited. allowing users to look at mining scenarios and consider various processing and mining costs. Supporting iron ore mine design “Red earth” of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Rio Tinto has 11 mines operating in the Pilbara region covering various deposit styles. redesigning the pit and its economics to improve the overall financial position of RTIO and increase the net present value (NPV) of the Pilbara mines. Additionally. it is important to reevaluate options constantly. world-class ore deposits and invests in long-life. A diversified company with refining and exploration divisions in nearly every continent. The staff leveraged the software to gain a wide angle view of the physical. especially when considering a lengthy time horizon for the mines. Finding the maximum size of the pit can be done in a number of ways such as with pure economics and or using a limiting pit ratio. particularly in respect to the blending of different quality materials for the market. Adopting a more standardised strategic . the Pilbara operations consist of three shipping terminals and one of the largest privately owned railways in the world. With changing market conditions and iron ore prices rising. Ongoing exploration is constantly turning up new iron ore mineralisation in the region. Even before adopting Whittle as one of its standard analysis tools. Sound guidance for mine expansions RTIO mining engineers use Whittle on feasibility studies for expansion projects and for new or updated geological models that are converted to mining models. The company also mines and processes industrial minerals. Rationale for software standardisation Rio Tinto has a global presence and personnel working at numerous sites. The group assessed the status and benefits of the Gemcom Whittle software and endorsed it as one of the company’s standard tools for economic evaluation of open pit mines. Most mines have their own crushing and processing facilities. They depend on Whittle to regularly reassess the economic parameters that define the optimum final pit shape. home to many Rio Tinto iron ore operations.com) is interested in large-scale. Over the years. including those in the Iron Ore product group. the company had used the software extensively across the organisation for about 10 years. Combined. Rio Tinto Iron Ore (RTIO) — the world’s second largest iron ore producer — operates in Australia.L) headquartered in the United Kingdom. cost-competitive mines. They can offer guidance to each other. Although Rio Tinto puts employees with no previous Whittle experience through Gemcom’s two-day training course. Rio Tinto Group Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom Whittle Gemcom Services: Onsite training Technical support The benefits of standardisation carry over to personnel training and development. maintain and support. Rio Tinto. It fosters training continuity. tailor procedures to their specific divisions. Not only does the practice streamline the company’s overall technology footprint. Parker Point loading facility. Designating Whittle as a part of the standard solution enhances collaboration among staff. but it also reduces the number of different technologies that personnel must learn. This means that if they move into another division like the diamonds or the copper group.mine planning solution helps the company capture greater efficiencies. they already have the required knowledge. When personnel know and use the same system. Stacker reclaimer and stockpiles at dusk. By taking Whittle training. as well. a wide Whittle knowledge base is available that new users can tap into beyond their initial training. and share them across groups to help others improve proficiency. 62 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . mine engineers learn what the software can do for pit optimisation and about cost adjustment and scheduling factors. it can be easier and faster for redeployed staff to contribute in other parts of the company. Australia. NYSE. NASDAQ. Gold Fields Ghana. “Our previous software only allowed us to choose three or four different scenarios.” About Gold Fields Headquarters: Johannesburg. Australia. and conclusively demonstrate their value to the business. SWX: GFI Gold Fields is one of the world’s largest unhedged producers of gold. NYX.2 million ounces.Gold Fields Ghana Utilises Gemcom Whittle™ to Improve Cash Flow at Tarkwa Operation Gold Fields’ Tarkwa Gold Mine is located in South Western Ghana with an infrastructure consisting of six open pits.” She explains further. Website: www. with operating mines in Ghana. This has enabled us to reach our targets without sacrificing cash flow. “The software allowed us to find scenarios that showed a clear improvement over the base cash flow and also to see where production targets may be reducing cash flow. The operation is currently mining multiple-reef horizons from open pits and there is potential for future underground mining.za 63 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Tarkwa Gold Mine.” Hugo recommends Gemcom products for their efficiency and flexibility. Whittle has enabled them to rapidly generate multiple scenarios.” says Lucette Hugo. and the minimum mining width feature has helped them create an improvement in cash flow through the scheduling of internal cutbacks. We were able to quickly select and re-evaluate internal cutbacks. It allowed us to integrate concepts we weren’t previously utilising and meet our internal targets. “The ability to quickly generate over 300 scheduling scenarios and apply different production criteria to both existing and new cutbacks allowed us to see the value loss or gain each scenario would create for the business. The Tarkwa mine uses Gemcom Whittle™ to generate and select the standard optimal pit shells from which they calculate their reserves. “Gemcom’s technical support is excellent. Chief Strategic Planning Engineer. Ghana. their response time is fast and answers are relevant and helpful. two heap leach facilities and a CIL plant.” She also adds. They then export the pit shells to Gemcom Surpac™ to develop scheduling designs. . South Africa Symbols: JSE.co.6 million gold ounces and a mineral reserve of 9. Gemcom’s software has allowed the operation to explore a much wider range of options. Peru and South Africa.goldfields. “Attending an optimisation training course significantly enhanced our understanding of how to generate value through pit and phase selection and scheduling. and adds that Gemcom’s training services and technical support have also been invaluable to their operation. We couldn’t possibly have scheduled all these scenarios using our previous scheduling and financial modelling software within a reasonable time frame. Being able to run hundreds of scenarios has allowed us to explore options previously not considered feasible. Tarkwa has a mineral resource of 12. Hugo says. Block Caving 64 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . All-encompassing Gemcom PCBC™ system boosts deposit value at De Beers diamond mine Solution improves decision-making and productivity at block cave operation Countries: South Africa Objective: Meet growth targets and aid feasibility studies. Approach: Implement the Gemcom PCBC software solution for planning and scheduling block cave operations.” — Jaison Rajan. Business Benefits: Improved productivity in the underground mining environment. Section Leader−Mining Technical. Integration of block modelling software and databases with new block cave management software. design and production management for block cave mining. Data integrity. Information sharing between major components used in block caving. evaluate options and compile information. Better dilution management and geotechnical stability. and help staff become skillful in using PCBC tools. Easier staff transitioning and training (due to integrated systems and consistent database tables within PCBC and Gemcom GEMS). Streamlined strategic planning process−months to weeks. . Evaluation of various mining scenarios to determine profitability scenarios and reports to be run quickly and easily. Finsch Mine. Less time required to update mine plans. They helped De Beers come up with a mining system that was allencompassing and aligned with our strategic vision. Faster analysis and better decision-making. “I consider Gemcom to be the foremost authority in the block cave mining method. 65 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Automated trackless block cave mining at Finsch Mine. Customised. effective solution with monitoring capabilities. obtain customised Gemcom development and integration services. De Beers Consolidated Mines IT Improvements: Management tools for improved mine performance. More accurate resource estimates and reports. Substantial boost in deposit value. De Beers Consolidated Mines (DBCM) is renowned for the exploration. located in Lime Acres in the Northern Cape. Gemcom collaborated with Sandvik to create the system. De Beers needed to transition from blast hole open stoping mining to an automated trackless block cave mining method at Block 4. scheduling.” says Rajan. production and monitoring. It interfaces with the Sandvik AutoMine system. “The other strategic intent of automation was to increase productivity. The solution enhances the mines’ geology. first at its Venetia mine and later. which allows De Beers managers to analyse mining sequences and rates from draw points over the short. trackless underground mine Established in 1888. extract and share mining information within a secure platform they customarily use. Quick results with Gemcom software De Beers and Gemcom have enjoyed a well-established. they wanted to evaluate the design more thoroughly and produce an even better one. The ideal system would incorporate the outputs from Gemcom software to ensure geotechnical stability and provide information to efficiently plan the day’s activities. the CMS acts as a guide for mining the block cave most efficiently in the correct sequence to minimise unrecoverable mistakes.” As Section Leader−Mining Technical for the Finsch Mine. mining and marketing of rough diamonds. Finsch became the world’s first automated. is among seven operations that DBCM manages. “The strategic objective of the automation project was to make the mine inherently safer by reducing the exposure to natural and manmade hazards. Gemcom’s CMS automates and optimises the draw control process. scheduling and ore accounting functions. Referencing the PCBC model. In the process.” Rajan says. professional working relationship dating back to the mid-1990s. the CMS spells out the number of tonnes and priority for each location. Rajan directs mine planning. In essence. while sitting comfortably and safely in a control room on the surface. at Finsch. Prior to installing PCBC. blast ring designs. However. The geological model for Block 4 resides in the GEMS database. GEMS and Microsoft SQL Server database systems. which is a critical element in cave management. The mining framework consists of an automated ore-transport system by Sandvik. The fusion of SQL Server with the operational systems allows the work teams to contribute. “We needed a system we could manage on a real-time basis from our operations control room on the surface. production has come from the underground mine beneath the old pit. DBCM produces approximately 40 percent of the world’s supply of rough diamonds. The Finsch diamond mine. Collaborative.and long-term. De Beers first developed the deposit as an open pit. Since 1991. cave management. seamless communications The Gemcom developers designed PCBC to assimilate seamlessly with the AutoMine. a subsystem within PCBC for cave management. “When we started the project. Tony Diering programmed PCBC based on the considerable knowledge he has gained from various block caving mines and that helped us come up with a mining system that was all-encompassing for De Beers. The Gemcom development team also enhanced CMS. South Africa.” The ‘foremost authority’ in block cave mining Underground head gear at the Finsch diamond mine. It also facilitates information sharing between major components used in the operation. Discovered in 1961 during asbestos exploration. Implement ideal block cave framework De Beers selected Gemcom and Sandvik to build its block cave mining framework. we contacted Sandvik and Gemcom to get an idea of their experience with block cave mining and to identify key parameters within the design. To improve the mine’s sustainability. This changeover would require an automated framework integrated with robust planning and scheduling software. Finsch is a classic diamondiferous kimberlite pipe with sufficient reserves to maintain current mining rates for 17 more years. These objectives prompted them to evaluate the rich features within PCBC. Transitioning and training new staff−along with auditing−are easier tasks because of database consistency and the standardised way De Beers maintains data . integrated with Gemcom PCBC and Cave Management System (CMS) software specifically designed for planning and scheduling block cave operations. “I consider Gemcom to be the foremost authority in the block cave mining method. 66 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s After implementing the PCBC software.The world’s first automated. De Beers asked Gemcom to enhance it specifically for the Finsch operations and the company’s Microsoft SQL Server database. AutoMine allows operators to monitor a fleet of driverless trucks hundreds of meters below the surface. trackless mine requiring no operators on its production trucks. planning. De Beers geologists created some initial designs for mining Block 4 using Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and manual calculations.” explains Jaison Rajan. the company deployed a Gemcom GEMS solution for multiple user access. When De Beers needed 3D grade and geological information. ” Gemcom Cave Management System (CMS is a subsystem within PCBC) The value of expert services Microsoft SQL Server When De Beers first adopted PCBC. That timeframe has dropped to several weeks.” says Rajan. 67 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . We can also use the information to improve upstream efficiency. This integration across various departments cuts out many spreadsheets and the possibility of miscommunication. Approximately 100 employees in the production. the Venetia diamond mine. and evaluate various options. we can constantly compare actuals with what we are getting to assess the quality of our resource estimation. and feeds that data to the CMS. the staff can better plan future production activities. we can virtually look at what is happening in the cave and make decisions based on that. Even compiling information and predicting tonnages for the company’s strategic business planning (SBP) process took months. planning and geotechnical departments rely directly and indirectly on PCBC.” says Rajan. Rajan’s team runs various mining scenarios within PCBC to decide which is most profitable. the better information we have for analysis and that contributes to better decisions. mining changes caused problems and extended the time necessary to update plans Underground crusher with rock breaker. De Beers Finsch Mine Solutions at a Glance Primary Applications: Gemcom PCBC “Using PCBC. “This was extremely valuable in that we had someone who could solve our problems relatively quickly and answer our questions right here at the site. I can tell PCBC to produce 10 or 20 tonnes. it can provide the exact amounts of each ore type we can uncover and the grade level within the ore body.within SQL Server across departments. A ‘brilliant’ solution for one-of-a-kind mining operations While the AutoMine system directs how mining takes place and the equipment operations. For example.” Rajan concludes.” says Rajan. Based on an operating rate. These capabilities make it easier for De Beers personnel to manage the amount of tonnage from each draw point and preserve the stability of the entire excavation. we have continuous communications about what is happening underground. And with a fully automated system. “One of the brilliant things about PCBC is it provides a detailed series of reports on the resource itself. Besides accurately tracking mining positions. Gemcom dedicated one of its top consultants to steer the implementation and training over six months. Using that information. may stimulate De Beers to deploy the solution at its flagship site. PCBC mimics the dilution process and calculates various options to help De Beers personnel construct a realistic plan for dilution management. PCBC also calculates mineral reserves and draw point valuations based on the geological model within GEMS. As part of the SBP process.The assurance that PCBC and the Gemcom experts provide. “PCBC was designed to integrate heavily with elements of our other systems. along with the success of automated mining.” Rajan explains. Contributing to better decisions Before the PCBC implementation. De Beers continues to work with Gemcom consultants on various PCBC projects. The PCBC software reconciles the daily draw orders with the actual ore extracted from each draw point. PCBC uses mining and geotechnical parameters to propagate the cave efficiently. It provides a seamless communication line between our various departments. “The more detailed our reports. Gemcom GEMS Sandvik AutoMine system Gemcom Services: Consulting On-site training Software customisation Systems integration Technical support “We definitely are receiving a return on our PCBC investment and on Gemcom’s services and support. and the software will display how many diamonds we can expect. Mine Production Management 68 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . to detailed specifics at each stage. and control costs. as well as the time to report the information. “Stockpile management and end-of-month mass and grade surveys are critical success factors managed by InSite. Canadian-based gold mining and exploration company. With the solution. we can track material movements from the pit to the final product. Boroo. Centerra Gold. As a result.centerragold.” concludes Petermann. the company has employed Gemcom InSite. Through data consolidation and centralisation. “Removal of Excel spreadsheets ensures data integrity. has been reduced from days to hours. .Centerra Gold improves mine production management at its Boroo gold mining operation with Gemcom InSite™ The Boroo mine is home to one of the mining industry’s most innovative uses of mine production management technology. the former Soviet Union. “InSite gives us the information we need to manage production at Boroo. A key to the success of InSite at the operation is its ability to enable the company to more effectively leverage the data it generates on a daily basis.com 69 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Boroo open pit mine. The time to collect and enter data and information from many sub systems. All the equipment utilisation from crushed tonnes per hour to SAG mill utilisation are recorded. Chief Mining Engineer.” says Petermann. Centerra Gold is a growth-oriented. Boroo was already using Gemcom’s GEMS and Whittle software. “We had confidence in Gemcom as a solutions provider going into the InSite project. and mine performance. Another benefit InSite provides Boroo is the elimination of the dependency on spreadsheets.” says Alex Petermann. From high-level summaries. equipment utilisation. explores. Seeking a sustainable solution that would enable it to improve mining efficiency. which is the first noteworthy foreign investment for industrial development in Mongolia since 1997. This means that the right information is available when Before implementing InSite.” he says. analysed. develops and operates gold properties in Central Asia. more informed decisions. The training and implementation of the product at Boroo have built upon the great support that we have received from Gemcom over the years. and reported. transcription errors are not introduced into the decisionmaking process. It has a 100 percent equity interest in Mongolia’s largest hard rock gold mine. throughput.” adds Petermann. we know what is happening as material is extracted. Boroo Gold Co. Website: www. and processed. With InSite’s ability to automatically collect data and validate data. “Since implementing InSite. increase production output. we can now make quicker. Canada TSX Symbol: CG Centerra Gold acquires. stockpiled. The end result is improved recovery. our overall site efficiency has increased significantly. trucked. About Centerra Gold Inc. It also eliminates isolated islands of information. the mine has ready access to the reports it needs about all aspects of the operation. and other emerging markets worldwide. Headquarters: Toronto. and where it is needed. providing improved safety information. creating a transparent process for everyone involved. From this. . who had been employed to manually enter and validate data.” concludes Morris. “By using the software we have been able to make radical improvements to accommodation and travel management.” she adds. we determined opportunities to decommission accommodations and reduce aircraft requirements. helping us ensure we meet our logistical requirements and cost projections. The information contained in the system is utilised site-wide by facilities officers. Additional Benefits Realised by Minara: “The system has delivered a real reduction in administration work to manage site-based personnel accommodation and travel requirements. The software enabled us to accomplish this by providing accurate forecasting of accommodation and flights. We Ability to accurately and consistently identify accommodation availability for unplanned increases in manpower. Murrin Murrin Operations. Accurate data of who is onsite. Website: www.” says Robyn Morris. which is paramount for Minara.minara. number 2 in Australia. About Minara Headquarters: Perth. Australia ASX symbol: MRE Top 10 global nickel producer. Reduction in administrative work required to manage site-based staff accommodation and travel requirements. Minara Resources. Minara Resources operates the Murrin Murrin nickel and cobalt joint venture project. “The Human Logistics system ensures we can constantly improve our cost effectiveness – on a daily basis – by delivering accurate forecasts that require only a minimal amount of administrative work to produce. We had previously employed contractors to manage accommodation utilisation. In addition. With a large staff roster to manage. 60% owned by Minara and 40% by Glencore International AG. costly and time consuming to manage. “Clean and Vacant Rooms Available for Usual Occupancy” report improves contractor management with regard to daily deliverables. Facilities Officer. situated in the northern goldfields region between the towns of Leonora and Laverton in Western Australia. resulting in the elimination of external contractors. logistics and accommodation can be complex.com.Minara Resources improves cost-effectiveness and forecasting with Gemcom InSite™ Human Logistics Minara Resources operates the Murrin Murrin nickel and cobalt joint venture project. the system’s user-friendly reports have streamlined our accounting practices. Addressing these issues is why Murrin Murrin deployed InSite Human Logistics. making it one of the largest single-site employers in the region. The project has over 1. which subsequently required a weekly manual audit to prevent human error. administrators and general staff.000 staff and contractors. use the software to its full capacity.au 70 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Plant at the Murrin Murrin operation. resulting in reduced operating costs. resulting in the cessation of contractor support – these procedures are managed in-house with no real impact on other duties. Educational Institutions 71 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s . MEA Program Leader and Mine Surveying Program Coordinator for Curtin University.gemcomsoftware. The program allows educational institutions to incorporate the latest technology into the programs they offer.” says Dr. and support of Mining Education Australia. it also provides user support and training for school professors. “As Minex is the only integrated end-to-end software specifically designed for coal and other stratified deposits. including demonstrations on how to most effectively utilise the software.mea. Gemcom product specialists have provided two-day Gemcom Minex™ training sessions to final year mining engineering students at all four MEA universities. It exposes them to the practical application of mining theory in software used throughout the industry.” With coal being one of the most important mining commodities in Australia.” Gemcom provides educational support to more than 100 educational institutions around the world through its Academic License Program. this training will prove highly beneficial to students as they enter the workforce. To ensure the schools can get the most educational value out of its software. Director of Gemcom’s Minex Business Unit. The University of New South Wales.” explains Ben Farquharson. . allowing them to see how everything is done from resource evaluation. Mining Education Australia is a world first in university collaboration. The University of Queensland and The University of Adelaide. allowing them to graduate with a world-class degree from an industry supported national program. a national joint venture between the four major mining education providers in Australia. along with introductory Minex training presenting the benefits of the Minex gridded modelling system for coal mining. MEA provides a common curriculum for third and fourth year students.com/company/ academic-license-program. Gemcom has been helping MEA by providing academic software licences for the suite of Gemcom products. The students have benefited greatly from the expertise shared and have ranked this training session highest in comparison to similar events. “I’m extremely appreciative of Gemcom for its involvement with. as well as providing training sessions for students. “I believe Gemcom has gone above and beyond with their commitment to the training program. through to mine rehabilitation. Information about Gemcom’s Academic License Program is available at www. Location: MEA is hosted at the University of Queensland.edu. Andrew Jarosz.au 72 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Students at Curtin University. Gemcom’s university training sessions are designed to equip students with the skills they need to join today’s mining industry. Website: www. About Mining Education Australia Universities: Curtin University. to mine planning. “The training involved an overview of Gemcom. by providing Gemcom software licenses along with additional training and support. The University of Queensland. Farquharson continues. and The University of Adelaide.Mining Education Australia Incorporates Gemcom Software and Training into Curriculum The Mining Education Australia (MEA) Engineering Program is a national educational joint venture between the four major mining education providers in Australia: Curtin University. A world first in undergraduate mining education. The University of New South Wales. familiarising them with industry-leading technology and giving them a crucial edge in finding employment after graduation. offering arts. while fourth year students use both systems to produce a required final mine design before they graduate. Many graduates have made significant contributions to its growth and technological development.ac.wits. and other degrees. design. Throughout its existence its reputation has been based on the quality of its graduates. commerce.za 73 LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY IN MINING ebook + R e t u r n t o Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s Campus at the University of the Witwatersrand. Even when time is limited for training. planning. University of the Witwatersrand About University of the Witwatersrand School of Mining Engineering Established: 1896 Location: Johannesburg. scheduling. medicine. science. . having been founded in Kimberley in 1896 as the “South African (Kimberley) School of Mines”. and data management. South Africa The School of Mining Engineering was one of the founding Schools of the University of the Witwatersrand. It moved to Johannesburg as the Transvaal Technical Institute in 1904 and was renamed the South African School of Mines and Technology in 1910. At the University. Website: www. Today. Gemcom’s software packages are used for teaching technical knowledge to undergraduate and postgraduate students in areas including modelling. Third-year students are introduced to the Whittle software and design an optimised open pit. many of whom have risen to hold senior positions in the South African mining industry.000 students attend the University. law. our students are able to produce meaningful work for projects and assignments.University of the Witwatersrand School of Mining Engineering prepares students for the workforce with Gemcom software The School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand. more than 24. In addition. engineering. Each year Wits teaches mining students to use Gemcom GEMS™ and Gemcom Whittle™. “Gemcom’s Academic License Program has provided us with the ideal scope of software solutions for training our students in geological ore body modelling and mine planning. It became a fully-fledged university in 1922. Its School of Mining Engineering is recognised as one of the top institutions of its kind in the world and has an increasing growth rate in the number of students enrolled in its programs. their License Administrator has access to Gemcom’s support desk for help.” —School of Mining Engineering. widely known as “Wits Mining” is rich in tradition and mining history. optimisation. An important contribution to the successful use of Gemcom’s software in mining courses at the School of Mining Engineering is the training provided to its faculty on GEMS and Whittle by Gemcom’s mining professionals. because the software is integrated and easy to use. when the University’s lecturers have questions about the software. MineSched.com or visit www. Copyright 2012. All other names are trademarks. Whittle. Gemcom InSite and PCBC are trademarks of Gemcom Software International Inc. or service marks of their respective owners. registered trademarks. Disclaimer and copyrights This document gives only a general description of products and services and except where expressly provided otherwise shall not form part of any contract. combinations thereof. the Gemcom logo. Minex. Changes may be made in products or services at any time without notice. .com/products. Gemcom.To learn more about products featured in these customer stories email info@gemcomsoftware. Gemcom Software International Inc.gemcomsoftware. and Surpac. GEMS.