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MODERN MINING
April 2015
MINING News
WorleyParsons RSA reports it is achieving
ground-breaking results by harnessing
virtual reality technology from the gam-
ing industry and applying it to mine
design in the conceptual stage, with the
potential to realise significant cost sav-
ings for its customers. The technology
builds on WorleyParsons’ heritage exper-
tise and capabilities in mining through
its Johannesburg-based Mining Centre of
Excellence.
“From the conventional drawing board
and later CAD that served this purpose
for many years, mine design technology
has suddenly taken a quantum leap for-
ward, firstly to a 3D design environment
and now to virtual reality driven in part
by the strong R&D support it is receiv-
Chinese mining group takes stake in Ivanhoe Mines
Robert Friedland, Executive Chairman
of TSX-listed Ivanhoe Mines, and Chen
Jinghe, Chairman of Zijin Mining Group
Co, Ltd, have jointly announced that Zijin
has agreed to make a major investment
in acquiring a significant minority stake in
Ivanhoe Mines.
Under the terms of the agreement
signed in Hong Kong, Ivanhoe Mines will
issue 76,82 million common shares to Zijin
through a private placement, yielding
gross proceeds of approximately C$105
million (US$82 million). Ivanhoe Mines will
use the proceeds for working capital and
general corporate purposes, including the
advancement of the company’s projects in
Southern Africa.
Approximately 9,9 % of Ivanhoe Mines’
issued and outstanding common shares
will become owned by a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Zijin when the placement is
completed.
Friedland said Zijin’s decision represents
the first major commitment by an interna-
tional mining company to provide support
for all of Ivanhoe’s development-stage proj-
ects in South Africa and the DRC.
“We are delighted to welcome Zijin
Mining both as an old friend of Ivanhoe
Mines and a strategic investor that
shares our long-term vision. We also
have agreed to continue to explore addi-
tional opportunities to collaborate on the
advancement of all three of our world-class
projects,” Friedland commented.
“In particular, Ivanhoe and Zijin are in
detailed, friendly discussions about the
strategic co-development of our Kamoa
copper discovery in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Kamoa’s significance
was further affirmed earlier this month
(March) when Ivanhoe’s Kamoa Discovery
Team received the prestigious 2015 Thayer
Lindsley Award from the Prospectors &
Developers Association of Canada, recog-
nising Kamoa’s distinction as the year’s top
global mineral discovery.”
Established in 1986, Zijin has exten-
sive interests across a broad range of
commodities. It is one of the largest gold
producers in China, the country’s second
largest primary copper producer andamajor
zinc producer.
WorleyParsons applies virtual reality to mine design
ing from the nation’s major institutions
and the industry,” says Stuart Doran, the
WorleyParsons structural engineer who
has helped drive the introduction of this
technology to WorleyParsons. “This tech-
nology complements our conventional
methods and makes it possible to gener-
ate detailed, labelled drawings from the
dynamic model that the customer has
fully reviewed and approved. This has the
potential to reduce drawing time and min-
imise revisions.”
Digby Glover, CEO of WorleyParsons
RSA, adds that WorleyParsons has made
this investment to offer its customers a
superior product at a relatively afford-
able price. “Virtual reality technology
seamlessly complements our standard
WorleyParsons is harnessing virtual reality technology on a number of current projects.
methods and allows us to fine-tune mine
design with the customer before any
drawings are generated,” he says. “Using
virtual reality goggles, an entire multi-
disciplinary team from the customer’s
company is now able to take a ‘virtual
walk’ through the actual site, reviewing
mine and plant layout, function of moving
objects, roads and associated infrastruc-
ture, as well as the risk and safety aspects
of the entire layout.
“Any design changes requested by the
customer can be instantly applied and
since customer personnel are involved
from the start, by the end of the process
they have exactly what they want,” con-
tinues Glover. “The product we’re offering
has the potential to help reduce miscom-
munication between the customer and
the draughtsman during reviews and has
so far consistently exceeded customers’
expectations.”
While this is still in its early stages,
WorleyParsons is harnessing virtual reality
technology on a number of current proj-
ects such as reviewing the models for the
greenfield Golpu project in Papua New
Guinea, for JV clients Newcrest Mining
Limited of Australia and Harmony Gold
Mining Company Limited of South Africa.
Doran and his team began researching
the application of virtual reality technology
to mine design towards the end of 2014
and demonstrated its capabilities to visitors
to the WorleyParsons stand at the recently
held Mining Indaba in Cape Town.