Research

Some production blast-hole drilling rigs are capable of measuring and storing various operational parameters while operating (Measuring While Drilling data-MWD). There are a number of examples from the literature where MWD data is used to predict rock properties such as lithology, strength and fractures. This study investigates the links between the MWD data acquired in laboratory and ore breakage parameters.

Gravity processing is the oldest large-scale mineral concentrating technology. It has been mainly superseded in the past century by technology such as magnetic separation and flotation, but remains a very important process for base metal oxides (such as tin and tantalum) and precious metals recovery.

The Complex Orebodies Program is reaching the end of its second year of operation. This Presentation Day aims to provide researchers and other interested parties with an overview of the research programs underway, along with their outcomes and forward plans.

Over the last decade there has been a strong move toward implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) and in particular Machine Learning (ML) to improve the productivity of mining operations, enhance environmental and social performance and increase the health and safety of personnel. The mining industry is at the technological stage that we can develop a fully autonomous underground mine, integrate operational data for near-real-time decision making, promote the safety of people and control energy and water utilisation.

Every year, we extract 9 billion tonnes of metal ores and in the process, we create a 350billion tonne waste problem, destroy tropical habitats and carbon sinks, releasing toxic substances into the environment and emissions into the atmosphere. While metals do not have renewable substitutes, they can be recovered and recycled – that’s the good news. The bad news is, we currently do not have enough metal in the system to close the loop and we will need to inject a lot of virgin metal to provide for an additional 3 billion people this century.