Mine Site News

Dutch shipbuilding conglomerate Damen Group announced that Damen Dredging Equipment has delivered CSD500-S, a fully customised cutter dredger for acidic environment,  to Australian customer, Energy Resources of Australia (ERA)."The Cutter Suction Dredger (CSD), which has been named the Brolga I, will work in an acidic environment with a pH of approximately 3 for which a wide array of adaptations have been incorporated," it said in a press release.The dredger has been shipped to Antwerp, where it was loaded on board a transport vessel bound for the north of Australia. It will arrive at the Ranger Mine in Jabiru in the Northern Territory at the end of May.The CSD500-S is based on the Damen standard vessel type…

Nugent Sand Company of Louisville, Ky. has finalized an agreement to purchase a new Marlin Class electric dredge from DSC Dredge, LLC.DSC Dredge will produce a fully electric powered cutter head suction dredge that will mine to a depth of 80-feet, with estimated production of 700 tons/hour. This new Marlin Class dredge will be delivered to a mine site which has been operated by Nugent Sand Company for over 30 years. Other areas of the property were previously dredged, but this DSC Marlin dredge will operate in a pit currently being dry-mined down to the water table.

Dutch geo-consultancy  Fugro’s integrated capabilities clinch further work for Sirius at the world’s largest high grade polyhalite deposit. The award of two major new contracts integrating geotechnical and geophysical investigations sees Fugro continue its site characterisation services at Sirius Minerals’ North Yorkshire polyhalite project. A new geotechnical package comprises seven deep boreholes in shaft and tunnel locations at the new UK mine, located 3.5 kilometres south of Whitby in North Yorkshire. Fugro is undertaking strength tests of the rock formation, drilling to depths in excess of 420 metres. The project is developing the world’s largest known high grade polyhalite deposit, a highly effective organic agricultural fertiliser.

The operator of Canada's largest synthetic crude project said on Saturday it is investigating the causes of an early morning fire at an upgrading plant. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, at Syncrude Canada's Mildred Lake upgrading complex in northern Alberta, and no one was injured, said company spokesman Will Gibson in a phone interview. The fire broke out a few hours after the province's energy regulator announced it was shutting in 95 pipelines operated by Nexen, one of the partners in the project, because of safety issues identified following a large oil-related spill in July. But he said it was too soon to know how production would be affected.

Alberta's energy regulator said on Saturday it is investigating reports that about 30 blue herons have died at a Syncrude Canada oil sands mine site in the northern part of the Canadian province. The Alberta Energy Regulator said it sent investigators to the Syncrude Canada Mildred Lake site, which is about 40 km (25 miles) north of Fort McMurray. In 2010, Syncrude was fined C$3 million ($2.29 million) for negligence in the 2008 deaths of 1,600 ducks in a toxic waste pond, a case that fueled international concern about the environmental impact of developing Canada's oil sands. Syncrude's partners include Canadian Oil Sands Ltd, Imperial Oil Ltd, Suncor Energy Inc, Sinopec , CNOOC Ltd's Nexen, Japan's Mocal Energy and Murphy Oil Co.

A coal stacker has collapsed at the Mozambique port of Nacala, dealing a blow to Brazilian miner Vale's effort to start coal shipments from the African nation in the third quarter, sources told Reuters on Monday. The giant piece of machinery, which is used to handle coal and other bulk materials, buckled last week, according to a mining industry source with knowledge of the situation. "The contractors are investigating and an official report is expected within a couple of weeks," the source said, adding that no one was hurt in the accident. Another source said it could take months to fix the equipment. In an emailed statement Vale confirmed that the coal stacker, which was in the final stages of construction, collapsed last week.

An order for cranes to be used on Nautilus Minerals Inc.’s production support vessel has been awarded to MacGregor, headquarter in Kristiansand, Norway. The contract marks the third major long lead time equipment package to be awarded by the shipyard, Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding Limited. Nautilus' CEO Mike Johnston commented, "We are very pleased to have such a world class supplier providing key equipment for use on our Production Support Vessel. The cranes are an essential component in ensuring operations can be performed safely across all of our large working deck areas.

Lynden Logistics, LLC signed a letter of intent with Chieftain Metals Corp. to provide barge services in support of the construction and production of the Tulsequah Mine in British Columbia. The services will include the barging of materials and supplies up the Taku River to the mine site and, when the mine is in production, the barge shipment of concentrate down the Taku River for transport to smelters in Asia. The polymetallic concentrate will be loaded at the mine site in bags and placed in sealed marine containers for the entire transportation move. "It is exciting to see another mine project proceed toward development with economic benefits for Southeast Alaska…

APR Energy, a company in fast-track power solutions, announced today the signing of a mobile gas turbine contract to provide fast-track power to an industrial customer in the South Pacific. The plant will comprise mobile gas turbines producing a guaranteed 60MW and will power the customer's mining operations. APR Energy's fuel-efficient mobile turbine plant was the customer's preferred solution, meeting strict EU emissions requirements and able to fit within the challenging space constraints at the mine site. APR Energy's plant will run on diesel and offers the flexibility to seamlessly switch to natural gas if needed. The project adds to APR Energy's track record in the extractive industry sector that includes successful power projects in Mozambique, Guatemala, and Botswana.

A 41 metre high speed aluminium passenger catamaran, “Vale Grand Sud” has recently entered into operation for mining company Vale Nouvelle-Calédonie, marking the fourth Austal-built vessel to operate in New Caledonia. “Vale Grand Sud” was designed to provide new levels of speed and comfort to members of the company’s 1,000 strong workforce, as they commute between Noumea and the Goro mine site’s Prony Port. The vessel will offer Vale’s Goro workforce a safe, reliable and comfortable commute of approximately one hour…

Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) Saudi has been appointed by the new Ras Al Zawr port in Saudi Arabia LPG/C Al Barrah as the first agent to be issued a license of operation to load ammonia. Ras Al Zawr is one of the six new ports planned by the Saudi Government as they realize their goal of economic expansion and diversification. Construction of the integrated chemical and fertilizer facility and related infrastructure for the Phosphate Project has been completed recently for clients and operators Maaden and SABIC. Phosphate concentrate will be transported by rail from the Al Jalamid mine site some 1200km to Ras Al Zawr for processing.

Members of the Pacific and Atlantic Strike Team deployed Sunday to assist the Environmental Protection Agency at a former mercury mine in Cottage Grove, Ore. The team members will provide federal on-scene presence, air monitoring, site safety, communications and cost documentation support.