Modern Mining March 2015

MINING News

Tumela and BME partner on pioneering blasting initiative

at Anglo American Platinum, where he most recently held the post of HeadMining Technical Services. He holds a BSc in Mining Engineering from the University of theWitwatersrand and has also completed an Advanced Management Programme at Har vard Business School and a Management Development Programme at the University of South Africa. O’Hare, the outgoing COO, has had an exemplary career at AngloGold Ashanti, holding a range of high-level techni- cal and operating roles during his career which started in 1977. He oversaw the successful completion of the ultra-deep mine-life extension at Mponeng Phase 1, championed the development of raise bor- ing technology as a credible way to safely extract high-grade gold pillars that would otherwise be sterilised, and led the suc- cessful integration of the large Mine Waste Solutions surface reclamation operation into AngloGold Ashanti’s portfolio.  Pierre Prinsloo. “Emulsion is safer to trans- port than traditional explosives, as it only becomes classified as an explosive once it is in the blast hole. We also expect to use fewer explosives and transport cars underground, consume fewer drill steels, and have more flexibility with our shaft infrastructure.” The explosive characteristics of pumpable emulsions, and the improved transmission of energy to the rock mass surrounding the blast hole, leads to more efficient blasting – while being classified as UN Class 5.1 explosives makes them sub- ject to fewer legal restrictions when being transported and stored. A key element of the initiative is BME’s Portable Charging Unit (PCU), devel- oped over the last seven years to take the benefits of emulsion explosives into the underground, narrow-reef environ- ment. Improved safety and higher blast performance have made emulsions the dominant explosive medium in opencast mining. “We have worked with Anglo American Platinum in testing this narrow-reef emul- sion system for over a year,”said BME Senior Operations Manager Selwyn Pearton, who has led the development of the PCU. “The success of our trials on Union, Tumela and Dishaba mines has now led to this roll-out

Official opening of BME’s training and maintenance facility at Tumela. About to cut the ribbon is Tumela Production Manager Pierre Prinsloo.

Charging Units as well as the official open- ing of BME’s training and maintenance facility on the mine – where some 180 underground personnel will be trained in the use of new equipment. “We aim to drill 12 % fewer holes using this technology, saving us time at the rock face,” said Tumela Production Manager

As part of its modernisation strategy, Anglo American Platinum’s Tumela mine has partnered with blasting firm BME in a pioneering initiative to introduce emulsion explosives underground at its mine near Thabazimbi in Limpopo Province. On 4 Ma rch , BME and Tume l a announced the trial rollout of 54 Portable



New COO for AngloGold Ashanti’s South African operations AngloGold Ashanti has announced the appointment of Chris Sheppard, a 30-year veteran of South Africa’s ultra-deep under- ground mining sector, as incoming Chief Operating Officer: South Africa. He will replace the incumbent, Mike O’Hare, who plans to take early retirement during the course of 2015 after a distinguished career of almost 40 years with the company. continue enhancing safety, driving busi- ness improvement, tighter cost control and the technological development that Mike has championed.”

Sheppard, a mining engineer by pro- fession, was most recently MD of Murray & Roberts Cementation, one of Africa’s largest mining contractors and a division of South Africa’s largest publicly traded engineering and construction group. Over more than four years, he had oversight across several countries and mineral types of activities includingmining, shaft sinking, tunnelling, raise drilling, mine develop- ment and exploration drilling. He also led the drive to adapt the business to the challenging market conditions that have affected the global mining sector. Prior to that, he held positions as head of both mining and technical services at Lonmin for four years, following six years

Sheppard’s appointment will be effec- tive 1 June 2015 at which point he will also join the company’s executive committee. O’Hare will support him during the course of the year to ensure an orderly handover. “We are extremely pleased to have someone of Chris’ calibre, and with his deep experience of underground min- ing in South Africa, to take the helm,” comments AngloGold Ashanti’s CEO Srinivasan Venkatakrishnan. “Chris has a unique set of skills that will help us to

10  MODERN MINING  March 2015