As a fresh batch of ducklings hatch in an eclectic farm in Taganito Mining, so begins the important step towards fulfilling a dream of having a balut production farm within the mine site.

Filipinos love balut.  As a matter of fact, balut is associated with the Pinoy’s exotic palate and is accepted as a national delicacy in the Philippines, our “national street food”.

The town of Pateros in Taguig City is the acknowledged balut capital of the country but agriculturists in Taganito Mining Corp. (TMC) believe that there is a big market for balut in Claver, Surigao del Norte, so they started to dream of having their own balut production as means of livelihood for the communities in this mining area. 

“Our main goal is to assist our partner communities and teach them to become producers of balut in the whole of Claver and adjacent towns, with lower prices so people can afford and enjoy balutproduced in their own backyards,” says Danding Elizalde, Agriculturist at TMC and the project’s overall coordinator.

A likely recipient of the balut production technology that TMC is developing is the Sapa Integrated Farmers' Association (SIFAS), one of the people organizations (POs) that TMC supports under the mining company’s Social Development Management Program (SDMP).  SIFAS already has a duck farm but they are selling their egg produce until they are able to produce balut to sell.

“TMC is our biggest support in terms of funding and know-how and we cannot wait for our dream to have a balut production here in Claver,” says Mr. Virgelio Buyan, SIFAS President.

The critical first step is to grow a healthy batch of “breeders”.

Elizalde says that Ducks are one of the simplest animals to raise.  They are resilient against unpredictable weather changes and do not consume a lot of time to nurture and grow.

TMC, a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), has always been on the lookout for sustainable community projects to develop and to pass on to the residents of the company’s host communities, and the Environmental Department of TMC that takes care of the protection and enhancement of the environment in the mining communities came upon the exciting idea of balut production. 

“After the initial learnings, we’ve warmed up to the system of caring for the ducks and we found out it’s a piece of cake really as we do the feeding and cleaning of cages in between our daily activities and would take turns in collecting the eggs that would be laid during night,” shares Elizalde.

“It is very important to document every challenge we’ve encountered,” says Vince Ivan Libao, OIC-Environmental Manager for TMC, and Elizalde’s immediate superior.

One of the bigger hurdles was when TMC did not have an incubator. The eggs would be sold to employees every time because it was difficult to hatch them into ducklings since mother ducks would not warm on their eggs and there were bush rats that feed on them at night.

“We could not grow healthy breeders because we could not hatch most of our eggs so an incubator became a necessity so we had one fabricated in Surigao City for P60,000 pesos” explains Libao.

But with an incubator, TMC started producing ducklings and perfected the system that now produce fertile eggs with better hatchability rate with the target to produce 500 ducklings in the next few months.

At the moment, TMC is able to hatch 60 ducklings at a time and is getting nearer to the realization of its dream of having an efficient balut production farm.

TMC mine site is located in barangays Hayanggabon, Urbiztondo, Taganito and Cagdianao, in the municipality of Claver, province of Surigao del Norte.  Its area of operations is within the Surigao Mineral Reservation. 

 Cleanout of Coal Mine Settling Ponds

A large Indonesian mining corporation operating an-open-pit coal mine in a remote part of South Kalimantan, Indonesia, faced a problem on how to dewater silt sediments from settling ponds that had reached their capacity.

As part of the settling ponds cleanout efforts, a TenCate Geotube® dewatering facility was constructed to contain and dewater sediments extracted from the ponds. In total, more than 300 Geotube® dewatering tubes have been used to dewater more than 1,000,000 m3 of slurry containing 170,000 m³ of dry solids annually.

To optimize land space the Geotube® dewatering tubes are stacked up to seven layers high based on standardized units with a circumference of 36.6m and lengths between 17.4m to 61.4m to create large solid landfill structures

THE CHALLENGE

The problem facing the mine was how to deal with high volumes of silt in evaporation ponds. The silt, originating from a mix of wastewater from the mines open pits as well as eroded silty rainwater runoff from within the mine catchment area, discharged into the ponds rapidly filling the header ponds before overflowing and clogging adjacent ponds.

Initially, the problem was solved by constructing new ponds until there was a shortage of free land space. Cleaning the ponds required a constant combination of silt dredging and truck relocation in a constant cycle to prevent runoff with high levels of suspended solids (TSS) discharging into and polluting adjacent river channels.

As silt levels in the ponds increased, the cost of dewatering ponds became prohibitive, requiring a more proactive and cost effective permanent Geotube® dewatering solution.

THE DESIGN

To prove the effectiveness and viability of TenCate Geotube® dewatering tubes, a series of on-site evaluation tests was undertaken. Firstly, a series of Rapid Dewatering Tests (RDT) was conducted to determine the most suitable polymer, the optimum polymer dosage and estimate the final end-of-dewatering solids concentration. Figure 1 and 2 shows the RDT test being undertaken and the effluent and dewatered solids captured.

Secondly, a pilot tube trial was conducted using a few scaled-down Geotube® units that would simulate actual process conditions. The pilot trial validated the results of the RDT evaluation and was used to quantify information and operational implications that was then used in the final project design. Figure 3 shows the pilot trial set-up which utilized a Geotube® GT 500D fabric with a circumference of 13.7m and length of 30.6m.

The pilot trial Geotube® units was laid out over a membrane lined platform to reduce ground infiltration of the effluent. The slurry pumped into the Geotube® units was dosed with polymer at the rate determined earlier by the RDT test. Figure 4 shows the final dewatered cake achieved in the pilot trial Geotube® units.

THE CONSTRUCTION

A Geotube® dewatering facility was constructed to contain and dewater slurry extracted from the ponds. Construction of the dewatering pad started in August 2015.

Prior to placement of the Geotube® dewatering tubes, the surface area of the land was levelled and cleared of sharp objects such as rocks, roots etc as shown in Figure 5a. The pad preparation included the placement of a LDPE liner, drainage trenches, HDPE piping, manifolds and flexible hoses. A working space of about 5m was also allocated between the edge of the tubes and drainage for the operators as shown in Figure 5b.

The first layer of Geotube® GT500D with a circumference of 36.6m and length of 61.4m was installed. Slurry was then pumped into the Geotube® dewatering tubes from a floating dredger in the ponds at a flow rate of 350-500 m³/hour in a 10-hour operation daily. The polymer used was a cationic flocculant injected at a dosage of 1.5 to 3.0 kg/MTds that was into the slurry prior to delivery into the Geotube® dewatering tubes.

The maximum filled height was 2.65m and the final height after consolidation was 1.8m. After the initial Geotube® dewatering tubes have been consolidated, the following layer was then installed (Figure 5c). This process continued until seven layers of Geotube® dewatering tubes was installed. Effluent discharged from the Geotube® dewatering tubes was pumped back into the settling ponds.

THE PERFORMANCE

The Geotube® dewatering technology installed in this largescaled project has proven to be a highly effective and efficient solution with significant benefits in cost savings and environmental sustainability. The design of stacking seven layers of Geotube® dewatering tubes enabled land space to be well optimized while harnessing the performance of Geotube® technology.

Geotube® dewatering technology improved the water discharge quality by substantially reducing the total suspended solids (TSS) being discharged back into the ponds with its ability of achieving high rates of solids retention and effluent discharge as compared to the previous dewatering methods used.

The solids contained in the Geotube® dewatering tubes also eliminated the risk of rainfall erosion and silt runoff. Presently, the solids in the Geotube® dewatering tubes are being reclaimed as infrastructure earthworks fill, reducing carbon footprint while returning a revenue contribution to the mine operations.

This project has the distinction of being one of the biggest Geotube® dewatering projects ever undertaken in the world providing a wealth of knowledge on the economics of extreme large scale Geotube® dewatering

Photo Caption: Our future. Children study and play at the Canatuan Elementary and National High School – an institution that TVIRD helped build during its operations in the area from 2004-2014, and from which time the company has been the host municipality’s strongest partner in promoting responsive education. (TVIRD file photo)

Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte / July 2021 – She knows what it is to be poor at a young age, being born to poor parents and raised by a single mother who died while she was in her primary years.  The harrowing experience of being bullied because of poverty made Joanamarie Gabayan vow to have a stable job in the future.

At 19, she fulfilled her promise to herself and joined the academe where a decent, fulfilling and stable job as a professional teacher awaited her.

Joanamarie, “Joan” to family and friends, earned her degree in elementary education in 2015.  She took and passed the professional board examination for teachers then and landed a teaching job the following year – thanks to the scholarship program of TVI Resource Development Philippines Inc. (TVIRD) in Canatuan.

Now 25 years old and already married, Joan is currently teaching the Subanon children at Barangay Tabayo Elementary School of this town.  Assigned as an Indigenous People Education (IPEd) teacher by the Department of Education (DepEd), she instructs her pupils on basic education that is responsive to their context, respects their identities and promotes the values of their indigenous knowledge, skills and other aspects of their cultural heritage – all in line with DepEd Order 50 series of 2016.

Looking back at her humble beginning, Joan said she is forever grateful to the company that helped her realize her dream. “I could not have reached this far without TVIRD,” she said.

Giving back

Police Corporal Rasul Agang, also a former scholar of the company agrees with her. A graduate of BS in Criminology at a state university in Siocon town, Corporal Agang is now proudly serving his “kababayans” as a member of the Siocon Police Station.  At 27, Rasul said he “walks the talk” of the PNP Motto which is to “Serve and protect.”

A son of a fisherman, Rasul shared that ever since he was young, he wanted to become a police officer. “That was my dream, and I was able to achieve it through the help of the company.  I am always proud of being a scholar and part of the TVIRD family, knowing that it is a responsible mining company,” he said.

Rasul cited TVIRD’s ongoing final mine rehabilitation in Canatuan, which started in 2016.  The program consists of “re-greening” and restoring the company’s former mine site to its former condition and covers all disturbed areas during its 10-year mining operations from 2004.

Equally thankful is geologist-scholar Ryan Lumabi, also a Subanon from Sitio Canatuan.  Ryan currently works as a project geologist at Premium Megastructures Inc. in Misamis Oriental.

“I just want to say thank you very much to TVIRD for making my dream possible.  It really was impossible for me to reach my dream given that we were poor.  But (they) gave me the opportunity to study and graduate as well as assisted me financially while taking the board examinations,” he said. 

Investing in education

“TVIRD believes that education plays a vital role in empowering its Subanon partners; hence, the company must invest on it,” according to TVIRD President Yulo Perez who was then Canatuan General Manager who institutionalized the company’s College Scholarship Program in early 2005.

According to him the program seeks to provide the poor but deserving Subanons with access to education so they will be able to help the tribe’s elders in managing the development of their homeland – all according to their needs and outlook, and within their cultural and traditional framework.

Also included in the grant were underprivileged but deserving non-tribal scholars residing within the immediate community and the host municipality of Siocon.

From 2004 to 2020, TVIRD spent more than Php11-million pesos for its scholarship program.  The amount is on top of the construction cost of the first school buildings and library of Canatuan Elementary and National High School as well as the salaries of both school’s first four school teachers.

TVIRD also provided school buses for the pupils and students of both schools. The first bus could accommodate 48 passengers and ferried the children as far as Sitio Kilometer 8, a sub-village of Kilalaban of the neighboring town of Baliguian, and Sitio Paduan of Barangay Candiz in Siocon town.

When TVIRD concluded its Canatuan operations in 2014, it also produced professional teachers, nurses, midwives, civil engineers, agriculturists, geologists, an environmental engineer, a forester and a member of the Philippine Navy.

Geologist Ryan Lumabi mentioned earlier that the education provided to him by the company gave him the fighting chance to reach his dream.

“Mining may cease, and TVIRD may eventually leave Canatuan.  But the education it provided will live on in the hearts of its scholars whose lives were touched and changed for the better,” he concluded.

With global OEM production slow-moving due to the pandemic and secondhand equipment prices reaching new heights, Ritchie Bros. Senior Territory Sales Manager Chris Edwards is encouraging consignors in the Philippines to bring their assets to market.

Chris Edwards, who is based in Manila, was appointed at the beginning of 2021 to accommodate rising demand in the Philippines.

“Ritchie Bros. has a long-standing reputation in the Philippines. The first Ritchie Bros. auction ever hosted in Asia was in Subic Bay in 1994. We pioneered the auctioneering business in the Philippines with permanent live auction sites from 1994 to 1999, now we’re back with a new office in Manila to support buyers and sellers in the Philippines” said Mr. Edwards.

“We have returned to the Philippines as the global market appetite for used equipment and machinery has burgeoned over the last 18 months with no sign of demand slowing down.

“Philippine mining companies have experienced record-breaking quarters and rising commodity prices. This is a great time to bring used equipment to our global market and get the best possible price. We continue to secure great results for mining companies across Asia through our various sales channels.

“We have Territory Managers all throughout the Asia-Pacific region ready to help consignors get the best price for their used equipment. As world-leading asset remarketers, with expertise on the ground, our comprehensive sales solutions give consigners a choice of selling solutions through Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers unreserved auctions, IronPlanet reserved auctions, or our 24/7 Marketplace-E.” 

Ritchie Bros. sold more equipment and machinery in 2020 than any other auction company. The Covid-19 pandemic has continued to accelerate acceptance of large-scale online equipment sales and purchases. Since shifting to exclusively online auctions, the market leader has continued to see record-breaking bidder participation, strong buyer demand, and outstanding results for sellers.

Need help selling your assets? Contact Chris Edwards on +63.917.149.8545 or cedwards@ritchiebros.com

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Tailings dams are the most common means of waste disposal in the mining industry because of their ability to hold huge amounts of material, as well as cost effectiveness. Tailings dams can represent an ongoing liability, long after mine operations cease and facilities are closed and reclaimed. There is a global drive to ensure tailings dams are engineered during construction and evaluated for closure following the end of production.

A tailings dam failure is defined as a physical breach of the dam followed by uncontrolled and typically sudden release of stored materials (e.g., fluids, tailings, sludge, etc.). There are several cases per year of significant failures, with many of these claiming lives. As an industry, we have a duty of care to improve approaches and ensure risks are lowered. Often complacency in operations and storage with an approach of “doing the minimum’’ is not the best practice, and every engineer and organization must do better to raise the bar and protect the lives and environments surrounding these often huge structures.

In the Philippines, with our frequent and often severe earthquakes, tailings dams require robust engineering, high quality monitoring and civil, geotechnical and environmental engineering assessments to ensure the sites are stable long after a mine is a distant memory.

Stability assessments referred to as a Tailings Dam Breach Analyses (TDBA) are a common approach to investigating tailings dams, and this requires detailed, high quality site investigation works. This is where RDCL provides various geotechnical and geophysics techniques that feed engineering data into ground models for breach analyses.

The most common forms for geotechnical investigations are drilling and installation of ground water piezometers. RDCL takes intrusive testing beyond drilling with highly accurate Cone Penetrometer Testing (CPT) and seismic testing.

The cone of the CPT rig is made up of load cells or pressure sensors, collecting a variety of data used directly in engineering calculations. CPT testing is calibrated to international standards, and is repeatable. The data is digital, and the quality control checks during testing removes the risk of collecting poor data, leading to poor engineering assumptions.  Do it right to design it right, remove the requirement for over-engineering which can lead to significant cost increases.

RDCL operates GeoMil CPT rigs in Philippines and has tested to 68 m below ground in tailings dams. Typically, CPT tests reach depths of 20-30 m. In one day 6-8 CPT tests can be completed, pending site constraints.

The CPT rig also has options to deploy seismic geophones, soil samplers and electronic shear vanes, all of which allow discreet soil testing at specific depths. These additional tools, all part of the Geomil suite of equipment allow in-situ measurements of soil characteristics targeting specific layers within tailings, often to determine liquefaction risk.

RDCL often recommends more than CPT and drilling data across tailings dams, as both techniques are vertical datasets, effectively creating a series of pin-point datasets across often very large areas. This leads to interpolation between datasets, and generalization of ground features.

Surface seismic testing can provide 2D profiles across tailing dams, linking drilling or CPT data creating with good visualizations improving the understanding of soil characteristics across sites.

Two common seismic methods are used;

• MASW (Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Wave), deliver Shear wave (Vs) data
• SRT (Seismic Refraction Tomography), delivers compressional wave (Vp) data

The deployment of surface seismic methods typically involving a long seismic array of 24 to 48 geophones in a straight line and seismic shots (mostly via a sledge hammer), which propagate along and through the ground generating profiles as shown in this article.

Engineering modulus and Poission’s ratio are a common output from seismic surveys. And ground water levels are also derived, via the compressional wave velocity (Vp). A measure of 1500m/s Vp in soils indicates the soils are >99% saturated – and may be prone to liquefaction.

Seismic Refraction Tomography (SRT) is a good way to define the saturation level of soils, 1500m/s Vp indicated >99% saturation. This provides are very useful “delineation” of where tailings materials may liquefy. This interface between dry and saturated tailings allows determination of groundwater level geometries.

Multi-channel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) can provide information on the internal structure of enclosing material, as shown in the equations above. The Vs of soils increases as soil stiffness increases. A high Vs means a higher shear strength. When an earthquake shears the ground, soils with a low Vs are more prone to liquefy if they are silts and sands.

In summary tailings dams are not naturally occurring, consolidated deposits. They are often accumulated in very short time scales and can be prone to failure.

If Tailings dams are engineered, monitored and have robust testing techniques described here, we, as an industry, can lower the risk of catastrophic failures improving the lives of everyone involved working on them and living around them.

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 Considered a mix of science and art, flotation is the most widely used process for extracting vital minerals in the modern mining operation. As the amount and type of froth changes from cell to cell, the best recovery systems must be able to accommodate variable froth conditions, otherwise valuable materials end up being lost to tailings.

Newer technologies eliminate the guesswork previously associated with flotation, and the latest advancements allow for adapting to the unique conditions within each cell. This improves control of the froth phase and directly affects the mine’s ability to recover either higher volumes or higher grades.

As a leading innovator in froth recovery, FLSmidth has created a Froth Recovery Upgrade package that provides customers with more control, resulting in better overall metallurgical performance. The package includes four critical technologies:

1. A level sensor with a robust design and no moving parts, which accurately senses the depth and level of slurry within the cell.
2. Actuators that receive data from the level sensor and adjust the dart valve position to maintain slurry levels.
3. Radial froth crowders to reduce top-of-froth surface area and facilitate movement to the nearest radial launder.
4. Froth cameras, which measure the froth’s velocity and stability and can also infer the froth grade.

Ideally, a flotation operation would utilise all four technologies to achieve optimal recovery; however, the full package can be segmented and installed as individual components, based on customers’ needs. This flexibility, and the real-world customer results, are illustrated by the examples below.

Customer 1 – Level Sensor and Actuator

A large copper mine in Peru approached FLSmidth to increase recovery in an 8-cell flotation bank. The mine’s existing equipment for monitoring slurry levels and controlling dart valves lacked consistency, which caused large deviations in level control. The lack of control and stability reduced overall copper recovery and had a significant impact to the bottom line.

Every large fluctuation in level control resulted in two scenarios: First, the cell level would become too high, and pulp would overflow into the launders, resulting in unacceptable grade. Then the level would drop too low and result in little to no recovery of the froth phase, impacting overall recovery.

Data from the condition monitoring system revealed an opportunity for improvement, as shown in Figure 1. Sporadic movement of the actuator (blue) caused unstable deviations to the slurry level (green), causing it to fall short of the target level (yellow) needed for optimal performance.

FLSmidth engineers recommended installation of new level sensors and FESTO actuators. The customer agreed to replace its current equipment, and the upgrade yielded immediate improvements. Following the retrofit, slurry levels showed significantly higher stability and remained consistent within the target level, shown in Figure 2.

After a month with the new equipment, slurry levels consistently remained on target. As a result, the customer recovered 0.5% to 0.8% more copper than previously possible with the older equipment. Based on the short-term results, the customer anticipated replacing the remaining flotation cells in the entire plant with new level control. The mine’s return on investment was less than three months.

Customer 2 – Adjustable Radial Froth Crowders

Another copper mine in Peru consulted with the FLSmidth Flotation team to improve its froth phase control and improve performance of its rougher flotation circuit. The customer was seeking a low-capital solution using its existing equipment and opted to install FLSmidth’s Adjustable Radial Froth Crowders.

Installation of the crowders required no cutting or welding and was completed during a scheduled downtime. With no required permanent structural changes to the cell, modifications could easily be reversed if the customer chose.

After installation of the package on just one row of its rougher flotation cells, the customer noticed significant improvements to its operation. Operators were able to decrease reagent consumption, increase the froth phase depth by 3 to 10 cm, and ultimately improve the downstream operations by stabilising concentrate mass flows. With the economic gains seen from the retrofit’s improved performance, the mine retrofitted the remaining two concentrator plants with the same type of adjustable radial froth crowders.

Customer 3 – Froth Camera

A mine in western Canada contacted FLSmidth with concerns about frequent variations in its copper grade, along with low recovery numbers in its flotation circuit. FLSmidth determined that the frequent variations were caused by poor setpoint control and selection, and that a software solution would provide immediate benefits without a large capital investment.  The three-part solution utilised a combination of Model Predictive Control (MPC), fuzzy logic and FLSmidth’s newest technology in froth vision systems, to improve recovery by 4% at the desired grade with less variation.

The first step was to ensure stabile level control throughout the flotation circuit. This was accomplished by controlling the dart valve positions directly using an MPC controller which greatly reduces setpoint error and variation. This process ensures that when a level setpoint is sent to a cell, that the dart valve position will be adjusted to reach the desired level set point in a quick and efficient manner.

A mine in western Canada contacted FLSmidth with concerns about frequent variations in its copper grade, along with low recovery numbers in its flotation circuit. FLSmidth determined that the frequent variations were caused by poor setpoint control and selection, and that a software solution would provide immediate benefits without a large capital investment.  The three-part solution utilised a combination of Model Predictive Control (MPC), fuzzy logic and FLSmidth’s newest technology in froth vision systems, to improve recovery by 4% at the desired grade with less variation.

The first step was to ensure stabile level control throughout the flotation circuit. This was accomplished by controlling the dart valve positions directly using an MPC controller which greatly reduces setpoint error and variation. This process ensures that when a level setpoint is sent to a cell, that the dart valve position will be adjusted to reach the desired level set point in a quick and efficient manner.

Summary

With these advanced level sensors, actuators, radial froth crowders and froth cameras – installed individually or combined as a package – FLSmidth has proven its technology will allow for quicker reactions to flow and slurry density changes, greatly improving the performance of flotation machines. Better froth phase control methods can not only improve metallurgical performance in existing operations, but also allow performance prediction in greenfield operations.

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 Mining and Exploration

Today, it is crucial to have an in-depth and well-defined understanding of the geological region when targeting and developing prospective sites. Extensive field work is essential to identify economically significant deposits prior to any extraction operation. This includes comprehensive geologic sampling and analysis, which is costly and time consuming when performed with traditional laboratory-based methods.

The Terraspec Halo portable mineral analyzer has made a major impact on mining exploration by providing real time mineralogical information allowing geologists to make more informed decisions; lowering field and drilling costs. When used at an outcrop, at the drilling site, in the core shack, or in the open pit, the TerraSpec Halo mineral analyzer provides the mineralogical information needed to understand the relationship between the potential economic deposit and the local geology and provides the means to use that relationship to better target exploration efforts. As a rapid and reliable analytical technique that requires no sample preparation, it has proven to be an essential tool for field geologists and mine operators.

Advantages:

• Rapid and Accurate Results. Results are presented within seconds and are available for analysis through a range of spectral analysis software. It has 350-2500 nm range which gives full accurate analysis on minerals.
• Point and Shoot, Ease of Use. Handy and can easily bring to the field. Non-technical operators can have used the unit.
• Portable. Both the TerraSpec Halo mineral analyzers are portable devices well-suited for both field, drill site and laboratory analysis.
• Widely Used. TerraSpec instruments are the most widely used spectrometers for alteration zone and gangue mineralogy mapping, whether it is for early-stage target generation or late-stage geometallurgical studies. In production, the TerraSpec Halo mineral analyzer is optimal for a wide range of operations including ore sorting, blending, feed control and tailing monitoring for both heap leach and mineral processing
• Sample Flexibility. Working with a full line of accessories, TerraSpec analyzers are suitable for measurement of outcrops, hand samples, tailings, drill cores, cuttings and pulps
• Non-Destructive Analysis. Materials are analyzed in their original state, intact and unprocessed.

Applications

Exploration

• Geological/deposit field mapping
• Indicator mineral identification
• Mineralogical parameters related to thermal and chemical zonation
• Drill cuttings analysis
• Core logging

Laboratory Analysis

• Acid consumption determination
• Swelling clay assessment
• Gangue mineral concentrations
• Blast chip analysis

Extractive Metallurgy

• Ore sorting and blending
• Block model development
• Improved site mapping
• Agglomeration optimization
• Heap leach optimization
• Flotation feed control

Features

• Minerals and Scalars which includes mineral library and easy to export to 3rd party software such as Aesiris and TSG
• Audio Notes which recording of voice notes while in the field
• Viewing of Spectra which includes viewing of peaks with full range of wavelength numbers to    see the difference of minerals analysis
• Getting your Data which includes synchronization of collected data from Halo to the computer for post processing of results

In Summary,

The ASD TerraSpec Halo and Terraspec 4 Hi-Res and QS7000 line of mineral analyzers provide portable, rapid and non-destructive analysis of minerals in the lab or the field. Exploration geologists appreciate the ASD TerraSpec mineral analyzer’s portability and ability to rapidly identify key minerals. When used as an ore analyzer, results are presented in seconds to speed ore processing decisions.

TerraSpec 4 Hi-Res for High-tech Mineral Exploration

The TerraSpec 4 Hi-Res spectrometer is a portable, rugged analyzer for field mineral mapping and analysis that represents a new generation of high-speed, high-performance field portable analyzers. It provides mineralogy of altered rocks and hence assists in classifying ore systems, identifying alteration patterns and vectoring to areas of potential interest. The ability to rapidly identify and determine key alteration minerals, and in many cases, the thermal and chemical environs of their formation, makes the TerraSpec an ideal tool for field mapping in mineral exploration.

TerraSpec Halo

Terraspec Halo is portable full-range handheld spectrometer that is fast, accurate, and easy to use for the exploration geology market.

QualitySpec 7000 for Measurement of Material Moving on a Conveyor

The QualitySpec 7000 analyzer embodies state-of-the-art spectroscopic technology capable of accurately measuring material as it is transported on a conveyor belt. This stationary unit is designed to produce real-time, accurate data in a non-contact manner for process control. The QualitySpec 7000 system saves significant cost in material sorting and quantifying gangue mineralogy. In copper production, the system monitors ore entering the agglomerator to predict and potentially reduce acid usage, and measures swelling clay content for proper hydration.

Hinatuan Mining Corporation (HMC), a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC), donates five (5) million pesos for the construction of the first phase of a new Rural Health Unit building in close partnership with Hon. Cesar B. Diaz, Jr., Municipal Mayor of Tagana-an, and Dr. Benjielita P. Notada, Municipal Health Officer (MHO).

“HMC committed a total of 10 million pesos for the realization of the infrastructure. The remaining amount will be released on the first quarter of 2022,” said Dr. Oliver Dennis O. Lao, HMC Admin Manager/Company Physician.

Fund used for the donation is part of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund of HMC.

The construction cost of the RHU building is pegged at fifteen (15) million pesos as per individual work plan. The Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tagana-an will finance the remaining five (5) million pesos of the project cost.

Dr. Notada said that the project will bring positive impact to health care workers and Tagana-an residents, “The completion of the new RHU building will greatly improve the provision of health care services to all residents of Tagana-an. It will bring comfort to both medical and health workers, and our patients in terms of facilities.”

“HMC has been our partner in providing medical services to the people of Tagana-an,” said Dr. Notada. “HMC supported us by providing ambulance, medicines, personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks and face shields, supplies for this pandemic battle and food supplies at the entry checkpoints in our municipality, air coolers, and almost daily food assistance during our COVID-19 vaccination (Resbakuna) activities”, she added.

Dr. Notada also expresses her gratitude to HMC for the support given to her team and her municipality, “We are very grateful to HMC for the constant support they have provided to our medical team The support allows us to deliver the needed health services of the people of Tagana-an. They had been a constant partner in our commitment to bring quality health services to the community.”

Photo: Multiflo® mega barges on site in Brazil

Dewatering is critical to a mine’s operations and more resources are being allocated to its optimisation. Traditionally, there’s been a tendency among some mine and quarry operations to view dewatering as something to be avoided at all costs – until it can’t be. Therefore, cost minimisation has been the primary focus when it comes to implementing a dewatering or fluid management solution. However, with dewatering becoming increasingly necessary, operators are approaching these challenges in more sophisticated and methodical ways.

The trends informing dewatering practices mirror many of those that are observable across all mining processes: a focus on sustainability and the efficient use of energy and other resources; customised, holistic solutions based on each sites unique geological and climatic conditions; and the emergence of new technologies, with a particular focus on real-time monitoring.

Dewatering solutions that are carefully designed and implemented have the potential to reduce energy usage, CO2 emissions and significantly lower OPEX over the life of the mine. The overall efficiency is affected by individual elements, but also by how these elements interact and operate with one another.

The renewed focus on pumping efficiency requires a significant shift in how many operators have previously approached dewatering and fluid management on site. Because most dewatering programs have been designed with the singular focus of lowering groundwater levels as quickly as possible, they often have excess pumping capacity and oversized pipes and pumps operating at only a fraction of their capacity – a process that’s inherently inefficient. This needs to change to accommodate the increased focus on efficient use of energy and water, which is critical to maintaining a social licence to operate.

Improving pump efficiency begins with effective monitoring. There have been enormous improvements in electronic control and communication systems in the last few decades. Real time reporting and control of pumping systems can now be an economic reality for almost any mine site. The more visibility you have over your fluid management on site – flow rates, operating pressures, groundwater level, water quality, system relocations, alternate drive solutions, equipment selections to reduce maintenance and repair cycles, etc. – the better placed you will be to install the most appropriate equipment. The industry is moving towards customised solutions and there’s a growing awareness that no two sites are the same, which means a one-size-fits-all approach to dewatering is neither cost effective nor sustainable.

Weir Minerals has a global team of dewatering experts who partner with mine operators to assess their specific requirements and provide integrated solutions. With a long and proud history of innovative engineering, Weir Minerals has a team of process and design engineers armed with the latest technology, specific process knowledge and site experience to optimise your dewatering management processes. We take advantage of our global capabilities and engineering skills to provide our customers with the best solution as quickly as possible.

With an extensive global network and the ability to service on-site or at one of our 130 dedicated service centres, we are always there when you need us - no matter how remote your operation is.

CAGDIANAO, Dinagat Islands -- Stress is a word that many people are not a friend of. In fact, never-ending problems or worries arise because of constant stress, dubbing it as the number one enemy of our existence.

In the world of the Blue Zone, we can find that most centenarians enjoy their prime years avoiding stress. Their healthy lifestyles take care of their physique and mental stability.

In our work environment, stress disrupts people from doing their best. The long tiring jobs drain them physically and mentally. Some may get involved to join drinking buddies to relieve stress -- only to find out that their health suffers as a consequence.

Some may even spend more overtime to get their jobs done, only worsening their physical conditions as they already are overworking. It is unproductive and unsafe.

Continuous stressful work for longer periods will cause fatigue, resulting in eye strain, back pains, and other maladies.

Many companies have created many ways to get their workers to embrace a healthy lifestyle, and Cagdianao Mining Corporation (CMC) is one of them.

At the heart of the campsite lies a large room stuffed with weights and training equipment, the humble FITNESS GYM.

CMC Fitness Gym’s history goes back a decade ago. It was a suggestion from a local Fire Brigade to build an indoor venue for the CMC workers to exercise for health reasons and at the same time, to boost up their morale.

There was no fitness equipment at that time yet, so some workers improvised a bench press made from used campsite lumber, and dumbbells and the barbell weights were made from junk humungous dump truck metal gears.

Currently, some employees go out from the campsite and hit the road for a bicycle ride, a hike, or even jogging a few kilometers and back. Some may play at a half-courted basketball ground.

In the past, the company had a program called “Shape-up CMC,” which introduced the exercise regimens like Zumba (which gradually dissolved), but nothing can beat the camaraderie inside the Fitness Gym (still going active and improving).

Inside the gym, you can already sweat out what you can do running by using the thread mill. The thread mill can be digitally programmed according to your needs like setting up how many minutes you want to run or walk. You can also program a steeper incline to increase difficulty and challenge yourself more. You can try other training equipment for the muscle that you preferred to get toned.

Exercising outside the camp premises could mean a higher possibility of injury (e.g. dog bites, sweltering heat of the sun, dust, sprains, knee tendonitis, dangerous slippery roads and the like). Inside the gym, you may encounter minor injuries, too, but thanks to the constant presence of the CMC work-out buddies, you are guarded.

These work-out buddies are employees from different departments who love to sweat their stresses out.

It may sound strange, but the more they sweat, the more that they are having fun. In the scientific world, this is called… feeling good brain chemicals -- endorphins, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin are released to create a cocktail of enjoyable sensational experiences.  

Although the repetitive physical movements and weight resistance is tiring, the mood is converted into something positive through a healthy transformation of body cells, muscles, and brain tissues.  

After the workout, you will feel exhausted but that exhaustion will give you a better sleeping cycle. Once you have a good night's sleep, in the morning the feeling of soreness prevails but it’s a signal that your body is transforming into a better and healthier one.

“When I started in the field of fitness, I thought I needed to be healthy and physically strong under the influence of a best friend, I saw in him the dedication and motivation that pushed me to start going to the fitness gym and work out. And there I proved to myself that my decision was right from the advice of my close friend to enter the field of fitness, it also led to my diet discipline to eat healthy and nutritious foods that help me become strong, have a healthy body and mind. Time and health are two precious assets that we don't recognize and appreciate until they have been depleted.” – Junelan P. Petilo (CMC ERT Coordinator / Safety Inspector)

Hitting the fitness gym can also help build new friends inside the company that works at other departments. The CMC work-out buddies are also encouraging other co-employees to join them especially those that are too dependent on Medical Care benefits and living a sedentary lifestyle.

You cannot be healthy by just wishing about it: you have to take action; do it and live by it.  

Most of the CMC work-out buddies’ interests and conversations are focused on the well-being of every individual. You can enjoy physical stimulation through working out while having social stimulation as well.
 

“Am happy that I belong to a company that consider its employees’ health as a fundamental key to achieving goals, believing that a person’s well-being is second to none in terms of productivity. In-house fitness facility is convenient and time saving, of course, the camaraderie and friendship is priceless. Taking care of one’s self is a no brainer as Jim Rohn famously quoted ‘Take care of your body, it’s the only place you have to live’.” – Mcdodd Baylon (CMC Ship Loading Supervisor)

CMC also improved its employees’ health and wellness by catering them a healthy meal from nutritious recipes provided by their very own Dr. Alvin Pura (CMC Company Head Physician).  
 

This healthy lifestyle is crucial to the success of the company, as Papa Bear (John-Eric S. Taburada) always says: “I don’t want to be a liability to the company, and a great start would be, engaging in constructive habits -- starting with my HEALTH.”

Weir Minerals, global leader in the provision of mill circuit technology, dewatering solutions and services, has launched the new Multiflo® MudfloTM hydraulic submersible slurry pump. Engineered for abrasive applications and large particle handling, the Multiflo® MudfloTM pump features a hydraulically driven wet-end specifically designed to efficiently and safely reprocess and relocate tailings ponds, maintain water retention dams and manage slimes and sludge ponds.

The innovative solution combines the Warman® MGS pump-end, Multiflo® CB32 hydraulic cutters and ESCO® excavation teeth to provide efficient pumping of highly charged and abrasive slurries.

Weir Minerals' unique Ultrachrome® A05 chrome alloy impeller ensures high wear resistance and the specially engineered suction strainer minimises the risk of clogging by preventing large solids & debris  from entering the pump. Drawing on decades of Warman® pump design experience, the Multiflo® Mudflo™ pump is capable of pumping between 150 and 1,200m3/h, up to 82m head.

The Multiflo® CB32 hydraulic cutters feature market-leading ESCO® Ultralok® tooth system to prevent premature breakage, avoid tooth loss and protect the integral locking system to ensure the continuous operation of the pump.

Engineered by the Weir Minerals dewatering pump experts in Australia, it is available for global customers from July 2021.

“The Multiflo brand is synonymous with high quality and long-lasting equipment. In designing the Mudflo pump, our dewatering experts drew from the very best Multiflo, Warman and ESCO technology and used advanced hydraulics to create an innovative and cost-effective new solution for mine dredging applications,” Cameron Murphy, Director of Dewatering Weir Minerals APAC said.

Weir Minerals understands that success is built from enduring partnerships based on close collaboration and a mutual commitment to safety and technical excellence.

 “It is not uncommon for sites to use a combination of pumps, shovels, excavators and trucks for dredging applications. When one of our long-time partners in Indonesia contacted us about developing a custom solution for the slurry build-up in their sumps, we knew we could provide a better solution,” Geoff Way, Weir Minerals Dewatering Specialist said.

“We’re problem solvers. We considered our customer’s pain points and engineered a new solution to efficiently and safely manage their site processes,” he said.

The Multiflo® MudfloTM pump can also be retrofitted to competitor OEM equipment; the quick-hitch plate attachment ensures convenient installation and removal from hydraulic excavators.  

The Multiflo® Mudflo™ pump can be assembled on land, eliminating the safety risks associated with assembling pumps over water. Furthermore, the new hydraulic hose management system reduces the risk of hose entanglement and trip hazards, all the while providing a reliable hose bend radius to ensure smooth oil flow.

The Multiflo® MudfloTM pump will be available globally from July 2021. Discover more at https://info.global.weir/mudflo