Vale has reported its Q1 2024 results, where the stand out figures are for iron ore whose production increased from 66.8 Mt in Q1 2023 to 70.8 Mt in Q1 2024. A big bonus was seen in its Northern System, namely at S11D, where iron ore production was up by 1.4 Mt year on year from 16.32 Mt to 17.71 Mt. This was S11D’s highest Q1 output since 2020, with Vale stating that continued asset reliability initiatives had secured greater operational stability during the rainy season. Eduardo Bartolomeo, Vale CEO, gave some clues to the reasons for the improved performance in the webcast discussion on the ..read more

Papua New Guinea copper & gold mining major Ok Tedi Mining Ltd (OTML) has announced a record production result for the first quarter of 2024, with an achievement of 26,114 dry metric tonnes (dmt) of copper, marking a substantial increase of 61% compared to the same period last year which was 16,265 dmt. This record production has been complemented with a safe start to the year with a Lost Time Injury Frequency Rate (LTIFR) of zero (0) and Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) of 0.22 compared to 2023 with LTIFR and TRIFR recorded at 0.21 and 0.63 respectively. Unlike in the past ..read more

More specifics on one of the major miners set to get Caterpillar’s highly anticipated early learner battery electric haul trucks. In its just published 2023 Sustainability Report, Freeport McMoRan says that it is “planning a trial with Caterpillar of an electric prototype truck at Sierrita in late 2024.” This will be among a group of early learner battery trucks heading out to key customers from Caterpillar this year – Newmont has already said it will be the first to get one at Cripple Creek & Victor (CC&V) gold mine in Colorado. Additional early learner units are heading to mines ..read more

CIMIC Group has entered into an agreement with funds advised by Elliott Advisors (UK) Ltd (Elliott) regarding the acquisition by CIMIC of an additional 10% equity interest in Thiess, a leading global mining services provider. The acquisition, for a purchase price of A$320 million ($210 million), increases CIMIC’s ownership of Thiess to 60%. CIMIC and Elliott will continue to have equal board representation while CIMIC will strengthen its governance over the day-to-day operations of the company. Consequently, CIMIC will fully consolidate Thiess in its financial accounts. The acquisition will be ..read more

At the MINEXCHANGE SME conference in February 2024 in Phoenix, Wenco International Mining Systems’ President and CEO, Andrew Pyne, presented on open autonomy. He began by suggesting that it may not be business as usual for AHS in the medium to long term. “What we’ve seen in mining, is that the adoption of autonomy in more complex environments – that aren’t the Pilbara in Western Australia – is starting to stagnate. We are starting to see fleets being decommissioned and we are seeing some real adoption challenges. We are also seeing some really interesting evolutions in the early adopters of au ..read more

Innovation in drivetrain technology is important to help increase mining efficiency and productivity. While the mechanical concept has been tuned to excellence over many years, Flender says it is helping pioneer symbiosis of mechanics and digitalisation to open a long awaited next chapter in mechanical drive solutions. It says digitalisation promises a significant reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO) and saves lifecycle costs. It reduces the consumption of valuable energy resources and promotes the optimisation of production processes. Flender says this is possible with the use of highly ..read more

Intramotev, the technology company building autonomous zero-emissions rail solutions, has announced a partnership with mining company, Carmeuse Americas, to deploy its TugVolt technology at a mining site in Cedarville, Michigan. “We couldn’t have asked for a better partner to deploy our technology in Michigan than Carmeuse,” Tim Luchini, Intramotev’s CEO, said. “For over 160 years, Carmeuse has been on the frontlines of innovation, and we’re thrilled to partner with them to cut emissions, save fuel costs, and keep their workers safe.” With support from the Michigan Mobility Funding Program, In ..read more

Murray & Roberts has announced that its subsidiary Terra Nova Technologies, Inc (TNT), in joint venture with Ingeniería y Construcción Sigdo Koppers SA, has been awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract with a large copper producer for a mine in South America. The contract value is approximately US$200 million, with TNT’s share in the joint venture being 51%. The scope of work includes a primary crushing facility, a 6.3 km long overland conveyor, a 23 kV power transmission system, and associated infrastructure. Starting in April 2024, the project is expected to h ..read more

MEVCO (Mining Electric Vehicle Company) has entered an exclusive global partnership with Rivian Automotive, Inc to provide electric vehicles to the mining, mining services and mining equipment industries. MEVCO specialises in providing sustainable and efficient electric vehicle fleets solutions to the mining industry. This collaboration signals a new standard for responsible and forward-thinking mining practices, and is a catalyst for positive change in the mining landscape, the companies say. Matt Cahir, CEO of MEVCO, said: “The Rivian R1T is widely acclaimed for its on and off-road capabilit ..read more

It has been a busy few months for mining services provider, Thiess, having announced a planned acquisition of Australia-based underground metals business PYBAR Holdings Limited and its 100% subsidiary Pybar Mining Services Pty Ltd, plus released a comprehensive sustainability report detailing its progress towards its 2025 decarbonisation target. The company also celebrated its 90th anniversary earlier this month, paying respects to its origins as a small farming and roadworks company, Thiess Bros, which began operating in rural Australia in 1934. IM recently put some questions to Michael Wrigh ..read more