MINERS NEWS MAGAZINE

As 2018 draws to a close, Sandton Central can look back on a remarkable year of highlights. “2018 was a time of growth, improvement and celebration for Sandton Central and those who live, work, invest, shop, stay and play in South Africa’s cosmopolitan centre of commerce and culture. The year wasn’t without its challenges, but it also held many high notes,” says Sandton Central Management District (SCMD) City Improvement Management Elaine Jack. With 2018 marking Madiba’s centenary, several iconic celebrations and events were held in his name in Sandton Central. One that leaves a lasting legacy in the community is the global art-for-change initiative, iMadiba Project, which will expand Sandton Central’s public art urban furniture programme. It will add two new functional art benches to the district, one at Nelson Mandela Square and the other at the JSE. On the business front, a total of 132,400sqm of new office space was constructed in Sandton Central. Among the most significant de

People do business with people they know, like and trust. Building relationships, however, takes time and effort. Even so, relationships are fundamental to growing small businesses, and entrepreneurs should never lose sight of that. At small business accelerator Property Point, a Growthpoint initiative, relationships are considered to be so fundamental for building sustainable small companies that they are one of its three pillars: Risk, Reputation and Relationships. “The obvious relationships that a small business wants to nurture are those with clients, funders, suppliers or mentors. While less apparent, when you are building a business from the ground up, the power of peer networking is invaluable,” says Desigan Chetty, Head of Operations at Property Point. “Entrepreneurship can be an isolating journey, but you don’t have to go it alone. Having a strong peer network can help you as a business owner, and support you with referrals, advice or even just an empathetic friend to mee

People do business with people they know, like and trust. Building relationships, however, takes time and effort. Even so, relationships are fundamental to growing small businesses, and entrepreneurs should never lose sight of that. At small business accelerator Property Point, a Growthpoint initiative, relationships are considered to be so fundamental for building sustainable small companies that they are one of its three pillars: Risk, Reputation and Relationships. “The obvious relationships that a small business wants to nurture are those with clients, funders, suppliers or mentors. While less apparent, when you are building a business from the ground up, the power of peer networking is invaluable,” says Desigan Chetty, Head of Operations at Property Point. “Entrepreneurship can be an isolating journey, but you don’t have to go it alone. Having a strong peer network can help you as a business owner, and support you with referrals, advice or even just an empathetic friend to mee

The improper disposal of waste is one of the fastest growing risks to our planet and way of life. Rotting food leads to increases in methane gasses as the food decomposes in landfills. To address this, the City of Cape Town plans to start banning wet waste from its landfills from 2022. The Waste Transformers from the Netherlands and South Africa’s own JSE-listed international property company Growthpoint Properties have united to help take on this challenge. They are leveraging end-of-pipeline food waste from shopping malls and adopting a de-centralised approach to organic waste. An on-site, anaerobic digester has been installed at Growthpoint’s N1 City Mall in Cape Town, which is processing the waste from the mall to generate clean methane. This methane is consumed by an internal combustion engine to produce green electricity and hot water for the shopping centre. A fertiliser is also created, which will be used for the mall’s gardens. It is an on-site, smart, green, transporta

Brokk, the world’s leading manufacturer of remote-controlled demolition machines, hires Ted Graser as its southeast regional sales manager. Graser manages sales for both Brokk robotic demolition machines and the company’s Aquajet Systems AB hydrodemolition robots. He provides support to customers throughout Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and the Carolinas. “Ted’s sales and equipment experience are a valuable asset to our team,” said Peter Bigwood, Brokk vice president of sales and marketing. “His knowledge of the southeast region and drive to help service customers gives him valuable insight when it comes to building and maintaining relationships.” Graser joins Brokk with 25 years of construction and industrial equipment sales experience, including managing international territories for Link-Belt Excavators, a U.S.-based heavy construction equipment manufacturer; Time Manufacturing Company, a Texas-based manufacturer of aerial lifts; and Sennebogen, a German material handlin

Talbert Manufacturing, a North American leader in specialized heavy-haul solutions, offers the 60CC/55SA-LD trailer for optimum versatility. The trailer pairs with Talbert’s optional East Coast-style E2Nitro™ spreader, allowing for 60-ton capacity with a close-coupled configuration or a 55-ton hauling capacity with a spread axle configuration. This innovative Talbert design gives customers flexibility to switch between configurations to meet differing hauling regulations. While maintaining a 60-ton rating at half the deck length, the 60CC/55SA-LD offers a 6-inch ground clearance with an 18-inch loaded deck height — two inches lower than competitive models. “We’re the only manufacturer offering a trailer in this hauling class with an 18-inch loaded deck height,” said Troy Geisler, Talbert vice president of sales and marketing. “Those two inches make a huge difference in today’s hauling world.” The Talbert 60CC/55SA-LD is a hydraulic detachable gooseneck trailer featuring a non-ground

World Bank president Dr Jim Yong Kim, currently on an official visit to South Africa, was hosted yesterday afternoon by the Minister of Health Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Compensation Commissioner Dr Barry Kistnasamy, the Minerals Council South Africa, and the Occupational Lung Disease (OLD) Working Group and its six member mining companies: African Rainbow Minerals; AngloGold Ashanti; Anglo American SA; Gold Fields; Harmony and Sibanye-Stillwater. The purpose of the event was to demonstrate to Dr Kim the outreach work being carried out collaboratively by these organisations in mining regions and labour-sending areas around the southern African sub-continent. The World Bank was instrumental in providing initial investments and analytical work which assisted in towards a more comprehensive and fully integrated occupational health services for ex-mineworkers in southern Africa. The purpose of the work is to track and trace former mineworkers, test them for any occupational lung diseases they ma

There is an ever-growing need for faster, more efficient production methods and manufacturers are striving to find the perfect balance between product quality and affordability and to deliver within the shortest possible lead times, while acknowledging the environment. This quest, amongst other factors, has given rise to the fourth industrial revolution which sees manufacturers adopting the latest automation and digitalisation technologies to streamline their production processes. SKF, always at the forefront of innovation, started the digital transformation of its Göteborg plant in Sweden in 2015. The bearing and rotation technology specialist is addressing every aspect within the digital revolution space in order to arm its facility with the necessary capabilities for the seamless, efficient, cost-effective, safe and eco-friendly production of bearings of exceptional quality. With process fluidity a key factor in SKF’s digital transformation, the company has also turned its atte

ASX-listed Resolute Mining has signed a joint development agreement with power project financier, developer and operator Ignite Energy Projects for the development of a 40 MW independent solar hybrid power plant at its Syama gold mine, in Mali. The power plant, which will be operational by the end of 2020, will combine solar, battery and heavy fuel oil technologies and will replace the existing 28 MW diesel-fired power station at the mine. Ignite will design, fund, build, own and operate the power plant and will supply power to Resolute on a guaranteed basis, subject to a maximum tariff over a term of 12 to 20 years. Once built, the project is expected to be the world's largest offgrid, fully integrated hybrid power plant for a standalone mining operation. Resolute expects the solar hybrid power solution to reduce its energy costs at Syama by 40%, as well as lower the mine's carbon emissions. "The project is consistent with our ongoing efforts to use innovation and te

Gold and copper miner Newmont Mining has declared commercial production at the Subika underground mine in Ghana – its third completed expansion project for the year. The $186-million Subika underground project will expand the production of the Ahafo mine, producing an average of 150 000 oz/y to 200 000 oz/y for the first five years of its initial ten-year mine life. Combined with completion of the Ahafo Mill Expansion project expected in the second half of next year, Ahafo’s average annual all-in sustaining costs are projected to improve by between $250/oz and $350/oz, compared with 2016. “In addition to increasing gold production and lowering costs at Ahafo, Subika underground leverages the operation’s existing infrastructure and experienced workforce to further extend mine life,” Newmont CEO Gary Goldberg commented in a news release on Monday. He added that the mine provided an underground platform to explore additional upside potential in adjacent orebodies and also included som

LONDON/TORONTO – Barrick Gold's incoming chief executive said he wants to pull together Tanzania's mining industry to tackle a "desperate" tax dispute that has snared several companies, including the firm's Acacia Mining unit. In an increasingly acrimonious conflict that has lasted almost two years, the government has torn up mining contracts, hiked taxes and royalties, and banned raw minerals exports. President John Magufuli, nicknamed "The Bulldozer", swept to power in 2015 pledging to secure a bigger share of resource wealth and cut corruption. Acacia was later handed a $190-billion tax bill - about four times the country's gross domestic product - for underreporting output. The miner, 63.9%-owned by Barrick, now faces dozens of criminal charges, from tax evasion to money laundering, with three employees arrested on related accusations Randgold founder Mark Bristow, Barrick's new CEO after its $6.1-billion acquisition of Randgold closes on

The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) on Monday committed its members to implement the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Speaking at the UN Annual Forum on Business and Human Rights, ICMM CE Tom Butler announced the industry body's new performance expectations that will "define what mining with principles looks like in practice", by setting a benchmark for the industry’s environmental and social performance. The performance expectations, which will apply to all ICMM members, were developed with extensive input from nongovernmental organisations, international organisations and academics. “ICMM’s council of 27 CEOs have shown real leadership in being the first industry body to commit to implementing the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. “Importantly, other companies will also be able to publicly commit to our performance expectations and I hope this will lead the broader industry to further impr

JOHANNESBURG – The Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) said on Monday that it has initiated a ground stability study in the Johannesburg area with immediate effect. In a statement, the DMR said the study, which will commence shortly through the Council for Geoscience (CGS), aims to assess whether there is any long-term damage to critical infrastructure installation. "While there is no immediate threat to critical infrastructure as has been claimed, government wants to confirm this assertion scientifically, and proactively deal with this matter not only in Johannesburg, but in other areas where illegal mining occurs," it said. "The CGS is expected to provide a preliminary report on the matter within two weeks." This follows weekend reports that the iconic FNB Stadium and other landmarks were at risk as illegal miners tunnel under the city close to fuel and gas pipes, raising danger of buildings collapsing and deadly explosions. Joburg Mayor Herman Mashaba had r

Atlas Copco has expanded its range of low pressure oil-free rotary screw compressors with the addition of the new ZE 3. Specifically manufactured to operate in a broad spectrum of pneumatic conveying industrial applications, this low pressure oil-free rotary screw compressor ensures a continuous 100% oil-free air supply at the lowest possible life cycle cost. With the introduction of the new ZE 3, Atlas Copco offers a solution to OEMs who in the past often faced a limited choice of compressor manufacturers that could provide a reliable compressed air source. “The ZE 3 low pressure compressors incorporate Atlas Copco’s latest and well-proven oil-free screw element, a robust gearbox, and an IP55 motor which is completely enclosed for protection from dust ingress,” affirms JC Lombard, Business Line Manager at Atlas Copco Oil-free Air Division. “Owing to the optimal process and cooling airflow design, the machines are protected against extreme ambient temperatures.” These superior q

courtesy of Goldplat Plc NAIROBI, Oct 19 (Reuters) – Kenya plans to set up a gold refinery to help small scale miners in the west of the country, the Petroleum and Mining Ministry said on Friday, and the government is seeking consultants to advise on its construction. Kenya has proven deposits of titanium, gold and coal but its mining sector is a relatively small contributor to national output. However, revenues are expected to grow as new mines start production. The new refiner will provide services to help vulnerable, artisanal and small scale miners and other local producers meet international standards, the ministry said in a statement. "The aim of the project is to improve the livelihoods of the beneficiary community, regional economy and that of Kenya as a whole," the ministry said. It added that the refinery will also create new jobs. While Kenya is a small gold producer, it has attracted investors like London-listed Goldplat Plc, which operates a mine in south

“Onsite industrial gas (nitrogen and oxygen) generation offers a much more sustainable and cost-efficient solution compared to cylinder or bulk liquid supply which require transport, handling, storage and administration,” notes Charl Ackerman, Business Line Manager of Atlas Copco Compressor Technique’s Industrial Air division. Nitrogen, often rated fourth after gas, electricity and water, is an essential requirement in many applications and many industries in for example chemical manufacturing, food and beverage processing and packaging, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and laser cutting, are dependent on nitrogen as an integral part of their production processes. Atlas Copco draws on over a century of experience and continuous technical innovation to offer tailor-made superior quality on-site nitrogen generators designed to optimise production processes at the lowest possible operating costs. “The NGP+ nitrogen generator with PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption) technology can simply b

Atlas Copco Compressor Technique is proud to introduce its 4th generation VSD+ compressors - the GA75-110VSD+! “This 4th generation which follows hot on the heels of the GA37- 75 VSD+ compressors we launched in 2016 is the biggest generation of VDS+ compressors for Compressor Technique’s Industrial Air Division,” says Business Line Manager for Industrial Air, Charl Ackerman. “Compressed air, much like electricity, is a utility that is critical to most production processes. So, their core business and not the source of their compressed air should be our customers’ primary focus,” states Ackerman. “Ensuring that our customers’ compressed air systems are seamless, efficient and cost effective to help keep their electricity bills and production costs to a minimum is therefore our focus. The compact, smart, efficient and reliable Atlas Copco GA75-110 VSD+ fulfills all these requirements perfectly for complete customer peace of mind.” Industry is constantly looking for ways to enhance

Najib Balala, (Ex- Mining Minister) and member of parliament Kenya has won a case against Cortec Mining Kenya Limited, Cortec (pty) Limited and Stirling Capital Limited over the revocation in 2013 of a licence for mining niobium and rare earth minerals, a court ruling made public on Tuesday showed. The decision could add to wariness about Kenya's nascent mining industry among investors already spooked by resource nationalism in neighbouring Tanzania, analysts said. The companies had argued their project was nationalised after they had spent six years and millions of dollars in exploration and development. But a tribunal at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ruled the companies' licence was not a "protected investment". It ordered the companies to pay costs of around $3.5 million to the government, compared with the $6.5 million it had asked for. Initial drilling at the Mrima Hill project had suggested more than 100 million tonnes of niobi

The outlook for Africa’s oil & gas industry is positive amid difficult operating and economic headwinds. Tough economic and external conditions have placed pressure on oil & gas companies to be more cost-effective and efficient. Companies have adopted to a low-cost environment, which promises to be even more beneficial given the current recovering oil price. These are some of the highlights from PwC’s annual Africa Oil & Gas Review released today at the 25th Africa Oil Week Conference, 2018 held in Cape Town. “Africa’s oil & gas companies have weathered the downturns and capitalised on the upswings focusing their efforts on new ways of working, reducing costs and utilising new technology,” Chris Bredenhann, PwC Africa Oil & Gas Advisory Leader, says. Companies have taken to restructuring their portfolios with a focus on established regions, less exploration, higher value plays with low break-even-cost, and projects with shorter lead times and lower risk. The indust

Kwale In an exclusive interview, Joe Schwarz, general manager of external affairs and development at Base Titanium discusses the company’s achievement highlights at its Kwale minerals sand operation in Kenya. In July 2017 the Kwale project was awarded official flagship status by Kenya’s Vision 2030. This is a proud achievement for the company and represents a significant milestone in the partnership between the government of Kenya and Base Titanium, the local subsidiary and operating entity of Base Resources, in promoting further development of the sector. Company and project highlights There have been many stand out highlights since acquiring and developing the Kwale mine – the rapid and successful development of Kenya’s first large-scale, modern mining project, plant commissioning and ramp up, a justifiably proud safety record, upskilling and developing our Kenyan workforce and our community development programmes. To this list can be added environmental rehabilitation. Ensuring a

Coal generated R129 billion in sales in 2017 – about 28% of South Africa’s total mineral sales and directly employed over 82 000 people, whose earnings amounted to some R22 billion. Apart from being South Africa’s largest mining contributor to gross domestic product and the third-largest employer in the mining sector, it also created another 170 000 indirect jobs. SRK Consulting principal geologist Lesley Jeffrey explains that the government’s latest draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) envisaged only 45% of the nation’s supply of energy coming from coal – down from 48% in the 2010 draft of the IRP. “In terms of the electricity coming from coal-fired power stations, this planned reduction represents about 4 000 MW of energy that will in future not require being generated by coal,” says Jeffrey. “This amount is equivalent to the closing of a large power station like Kendal – the last big power station built before work began on Medupi and Kusile," she continues. The amount of coal

Epiroc’s resolute focus on being an employer of choice combined with the undeniably important role of the youth in taking South Africa forward, prompted southern Africa’s mining, infrastructure and natural resources equipment partner to co-sponsor the prestigious DHL GradStar Awards 2018. The GradStar programme was created to imitate the process used by leading employers to identify future talent and draws sponsorships from numerous blue chip companies across various market sectors. The programme reaches out to all varsity career centres in the country and from thousands of entries received from different fields of study and locations, the top 100 university students who display the best leadership qualities and readiness for the workplace are selected. The best talent is hand-picked in a four-stage judging process that includes behavioural testing and personal interviewing that comprises psychometric testing and video interviews. Then follows a workshop day hosted by the competiti

SKF ReMan recently assisted two key customers in reducing input costs and improving their profitability through efficient sourcing, team collaboration, excellent refurbishing capabilities and ‘just in time’ delivery of Large Size Bearings (LSBs). Seamless operation is fundamental to the sustainable production and productivity of processing plants. When it comes to the replacement of LSBs, customers not only face exorbitant costs but also long lead times with subsequent operational downtime and production losses. Compelled by a sluggish local economy to ‘sweat’ existing assets, industry is turning to refurbishment as a faster and more cost effective solution. “Because SKF understands the costly implications of an operational standstill for customers and end-users, we strive to offer product and service solutions that will help to maximise their uptime and productivity,” says SKF Service Manager, Simphiwe Malawana. ”The refurbishment of bearings to OEM standards by SKF’s local ReMan

Stockholm, Sweden: Epiroc, a leading productivity partner for the mining, infrastructure and natural resources industries, has won significant mining equipment orders from Murray & Roberts Cementation (Pty) Limited in South Africa. Murray & Roberts Cementation recently ordered multiple drill rigs to be used for the underground production build-up of the Kalagadi Manganese mine in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province. The machines will ensure that the mine is operated with enhanced productivity, safety and cost efficiency. The orders total more than ZAR 160 million (SEK 100 million), of which more than half was placed in the third quarter 2018. “We are happy to be a key partner to Murray & Roberts Cementation as it expands productivity in the mine in the most cost efficient and safe manner possible,” said Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure. “Murray & Roberts Cementation looks forward to building a productive and s

Stockholm, Sweden: Epiroc, a leading productivity partner for the mining, infrastructure and natural resources industries, has won significant mining equipment orders from Murray & Roberts Cementation (Pty) Limited in South Africa. Murray & Roberts Cementation recently ordered multiple drill rigs to be used for the underground production build-up of the Kalagadi Manganese mine in South Africa’s Northern Cape Province. The machines will ensure that the mine is operated with enhanced productivity, safety and cost efficiency. The orders total more than ZAR 160 million (SEK 100 million), of which more than half was placed in the third quarter 2018. “We are happy to be a key partner to Murray & Roberts Cementation as it expands productivity in the mine in the most cost efficient and safe manner possible,” said Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure. “Murray & Roberts Cementation looks forward to building a productive and s

August 2018 saw Chicago Pneumatic travel to Zambia to display its generator prowess at three highly successful Mining & Technical Exhibitions (MTEs) as part of its pledge to give away a CPPG5 portable generator at each of the mining exhibitions during 2018. A renowned leader in compact, high performance tools and equipment, Chicago Pneumatic, has designed and developed a robust range of generators suitable for harsh unforgiving environments. Engineered to supply a constant electric output, the 5.5Kva petrol-driven CPPG5 generator is powerful, reliable and extremely economical which, coupled with an extended service life, improves work efficiencies and delivers low total cost of ownership to end-users. Kalumbila (20th), Solwezi (22nd) and Kitwe (24th) served as the three MTE venues in Zambia where Chicago Pneumatic took the opportunity to inform attendees of the vast capabilities of the CPPG5 generator. Van der Vyver was accompanied by Timothy Nshimba from Atlas Copco Zambia dur

24th January 2018, Johannesburg -- Wescoal, Holdings Limited, the junior coal miner, trader and supplier today issued a voluntary strategic update on the integration of Keaton Energy assets, operational and financial matters pertaining to the enlarged organisation and key changes to the management and Board. Keaton Acquisition and Integration Update Wescoal acquired certain Keaton assets mid-way through 2017 to further diversify the Group’s asset base, realise economies of scale and synergies, expand optionality in contracts and off-take negotiations, as well as strengthen the balance sheet and free cash generation. The enlarged business now has coal resources well in excess of 300 million tonnes, four operating mines, three processing plants and significant interests in coal supply chain infrastructure. This translates into additional revenue certainty and diversification through production of a range of coal qualities, mining and washing/processing options, customer and sales s