CIM Magazine March-April 2015

40 YEARS OF WEAR AND STILL LOVING ITIn the 1970s, producing bendable wear plates was a mission impossible in the minds of most steel producers. Some people at the Swedish steel manufacturer SSAB thought differently and decided to attack the issue head on.

After a fair amount of trial and error, they succeeded in producing Hardox with a unique combination of hardness and toughness. Since its introduction in 1974, the Hardox range has constantly grown thinner, thicker, harder and tougher.

Originally intended as a wear plate, Hardox became tough enough to double as a load-carrying part in applications such as containers, dump bodies and buckets. It allows for the design of structures that are wear resistant and lightweight at the same time, saving both money and the environment.

Don’t just take our word for it. Ask any user and you will learn how Hardox delivers extreme performance for their extreme challenges—day after day and year after year.

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SSAB Montréal, QC T +1 514 364 1752

Toronto, ON T +1 416 527 0309

Calgary, AB T +1 403 869 5601

Vancouver, BC T +1 604 526 3700 [email protected]

Come and see us at the

CIM Convention 2015 in

booth #416!

IN THIS ISSUE C IM MAGAZINE

MARCH/APRIL | MARS/AVRIL2015

March/April • Mars/Avril 2015 | 5

EXCELLENT RECOVERYKirkland Lake Gold gets

back on track – part of ourOntario Special Report

By Ian Ewing

14Design flaws

Geotechnical experts locate the underlying cause of Mount Polley tailings breach

By Eavan Moore

40Live wire act

Electricity costs can make or break the economics of a mine

By Chris Windeyer

46Science in the art of flotation

Froth cameras allow operators to precisely monitor and analyze flotation

By Alex Lopez-Pacheco

54cover story

14

54

MAY 10–12 MAI 2015PALAIS DES CONGRÈS DE MONTRÉAL

83

Preliminary Expo! guide

OntarioSPECIAL REPORT

contenufrancophone

La version françaiseintégrale du CIM Magazine estdisponible en ligne :magazine.CIM.org/fr-CA

8 Editor’s letter 10 President’s notes

tools of the trade 12 The best in new technology

Compiled by Katelyn Spidle

news 17 News briefs 18 Teck and Kimberley, B.C.

team up on solar plant projectBy Kelsey Rolfe

20 Roundup 2015: “Intelligent Exploration” key to finding the next generation of mines

By Vivian Danielson

columns 28 Social media: mining’s

untapped veinBy Patrick Thoburn

29 Stop doing, start leadingBy Rosie Steeves

30 Global rare metal value chains in need of global linksBy Ian London

projects & construction 32 A frigid winter paves the way for Gachuo Kué By Ian Ewing

34 Seabridge Gold’s KSM projectreceives environmental approvalBy Chris Balcom

36 Vale and Mammoet’s modular approach to the Long Harbour project

By Kelsey Rolfe

38 Tahltan leader proud to bebuilding a new mining industryBy Chris Balcom

mining lore122 The tale of Saint Barbara,

patron saint of minersBy Correy Baldwin

115 Technical abstracts

article de fond 73 Sous haute tension

Les coûts de l’électricité peuvent contribuer à l’échec ou à la réussite de l’économie d’une mine.Par Chris Windeyer

67 Lettre de l’éditeur 67 Mot du président

68 Les actualités en bref 78 Kirkland Lake Gold se remet

sur piedMalmenés par la chute des coursde l’or, les exploitants d’une minedu nord de l’Ontario en activitédepuis plusieurs décenniesmettent l’accent sur la réductiondes résidus miniers etl’optimisation des teneurs pourretrouver des bases solides.Par Ian Ewing

83 Congrès de l’ICM 2015 : Guide préliminaire de l’Expo!

115 Résumés techniques

6 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 10, No. 2

18 7332


editor’s letterEditor-in-chief Ryan Bergen, [email protected] editor Angela Hamlyn, [email protected] editor Andrea Nichiporuk, [email protected]

Section editors Peter Braul, [email protected] DiNardo, [email protected]

Copy editor/Communications coordinator Zoë Koulouris, [email protected]

Web content editor Maria Olaguera, [email protected]

Contributing editor Eavan Moore

Editorial intern Katelyn Spidle, [email protected]

Contributors Nadia Bakka, Chris Balcom, Martin Bell, Richard Butler,Lise Bujold, Chris Balcom, Correy Baldwin, Vivian Danielson, IanEwing, Sahar Fatima, Laura Gregorini, Carol Lee, Ian London, AlexLopez-Pacheco, Katelyn Malo, Eavan Moore, Chantal Murphy, KelseyRolfe, Janet Sandor, Andrew Seale, Rosie Steeves, Patrick Thoburn,Lucie Vincent, Chris Windeyer

Editorial advisory board Alicia Ferdinand, Garth Kirkham, VicPakalnis, Steve Rusk, Nathan Stubina

Translations CNW, Karen Rolland

Published 8 times a year by:Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum 1250 – 3500 de Maisonneuve Blvd. WestWestmount, QC H3Z 3C1Tel.: 514.939.2710; Fax: 514.939.2714 www.cim.org; [email protected]

Advertising salesDovetail Communications Inc.Tel.: 905.886.6640; Fax: 905.886.6615; www.dvtail.com Senior Account Executives 905.886.6641Janet Jeffery, [email protected], ext. 329Neal Young, [email protected], ext. 325Account ManagerMark Spasaro, [email protected], 905.707.3523

For Quebec:Info-Industriel Inc.Senior Account ExecutiveYvan Gauthier, [email protected], 514.576.5869

Subscriptions Included in CIM membership ($187); Non-members (Canada):$270/yr (AB, BC, MB, NT, NU, SK add $13.50 GST; NB, NL, ON add$35.10 HST; QC add $40.40 GST + PST; PE add $37.80 HST; NSadd $40.50 HST); Non-members (USA & International): US$290/yr;Single copy: $25.

Cover Kirkland Lake Gold miner Robert Allen. Photo by Katelyn Malo

Layout and design by Clò Communications Inc.www.clocommunications.com

Copyright©2015. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1718-4177. Publications Mail No. 09786. Postage paid at CPA Saint-Laurent, QC.

Dépôt légal: Bibliothèque nationale du Québec.The Institute, as a body, is not responsible for statements made or opinions advanced either in articles or in any discussion appearing in its publications.

Printed in Canada

2014

Kenneth R. Wilson Awards

Finalist

Best in Canadian Business Publi

shin

g

CIM Magazine, the flagship publicationof the Canadian Institute of Mining,Metallurgy and Petroleum, and the

central concern of the Communication,Publications and Media department at thenational office reached an important mile-stone in the new year. And we missed it. Aquick proof of the magazine spine by AndreaNichiporuk, our managing editor, brought toour attention that we are now publishing the10th volume. Unfortunately, we were toofocused on getting the first issue of the newcycle to print to give proper due to the maga-zine’s aluminum anniversary.

Andrea, coincidentally, is the only memberof the publications team who was there for the launch of CIM Magazine in2006. At the time, the magazine’s creation was a physical example, some-thing that you could hold in your hands, which showed that the century-old Institute was in flux.

“At CIM we have inherited decades of practices and culture, some ofwhich are now outdated,” wrote executive director Jean Vavrek in the firstissue of the magazine. “Now that is going to change.”.

So the publications team created CIM Magazine and shuttered CIMBulletin. And when they took the risk of retiring a publication that hadbeen reliably published for more than 75 years to try something different,they built the model that we have been exploring ever since. From myposition – five years as a technician working on this ongoing experimentand as an observer of the industry – the pioneering spirit of Jean, then edi-tor-in-chief Heather Ednie and her assistant editor, Andrea, should be cel-ebrated.

You may have noticed that, with our 10th volume of CIM Magazine, theevolution has continued. We have expanded the French content availablein our print edition. With the “project pipeline” among the news stories,we aim to catalogue projects that are advancing and look forward to seeingthat feature demand more space on the page. The most ambitious projectfor 2015, however, will reveal itself later this year with the re-creation ofCIM Magazine online. Beyond making it a better reading experience, theproject will also re-imagine what CIM Magazine can be. It will, ideally, hon-our the spirit that launched the publication a decade ago.

Ryan Bergen, Editor-in-chief [email protected] @Ryan_CIM_Mag

Better belated than never

president’s notes


Let’s continue the discussion in MontrealAt the end of January, the Independent Expert Engineering Investigation andReview Panel released its report on the Mount Polley tailings storage facilitybreach. In the Feb. 12, 2015 edition of the CIM Reporter, I wrote a note tothe CIM membership summarizing the review of the panel’s findings andoutlining the initial actions the Institute will take. CIM intends to coordinatewith relevant organizations and sources of expertise within the mineralsindustry, with the common objective to support and promote best practicesin the design, operation and monitoring of tailings dams and containmentfacilities. Shortly after publication, the CIM communications team advisedme that the Mount Polley note in the Reporter drew a lot of attention,demonstrating that CIM members are very concerned about this issue. Iencourage all CIM members to review the executive summary of the panel’sreport at mountpolleyreviewpanel.ca. You will also find a story on the panelfindings on page 14.

The CIM Convention and Expo! in Montreal, May 10-13, 2015, is fastapproaching. We understand we need to deliver solid, relevant and currentcontent in order to continue as a premier global mining conference. Thedevelopment of the technical program, which is a core component of theconvention, has traditionally been under the lead of a volunteer technicalprogram chair. This key role has become more challenging and timeconsuming with every passing year, and in recognition of this, CIM recentlyadded a new staff position: the technical program coordinator. Janet Sandorwill provide administrative support to the volunteer technical program chair,thereby allowing the chair to focus on what they do best: identify and bringthe very best technical content to the convention.

I encourage you to come to Montreal for the 2015 convention, which, amongmany topics, will include technical programming focused on best practices intailings management. Register now to take advantage of the reduced rate earlybird registration, and make sure you book your hotel soon to ensure you get aroom. Montreal is a wonderful city, and we always have an excellent turnout!

I also want to take this opportunity to bid a very fond farewell to Serge Majorand to welcome Danielle Langlois and Riccardo DiPerna to the team at CIMNational. Serge retired last December after 19 years of service as director offinance and administration. His vast knowledge of the Institute, his workethic and his irreverence will be missed. Ms. Langlois joins as the director ofadministration and information technology, and Mr. DiPerna is CIM’scontroller.

Sean WallerCIM President

www.mecanicad.ca

Products and services

The companies of Clean Air

Mécanicad115 Jacques-Bibeau st.

Rouyn-Noranda, Qc, J9Y 0A31-888-797-2009


Safe liftingScissor lift platforms are used in manyphases of an underground miningproject, but operating them can bedangerous. Putzmeister kept this in mindwhen designing its new MINELIFT 4. Witha lifting height of four metres and a liftingcapacity of four tonnes, it is available as asimple working platform for lifting heavyloads and personnel, or with customizedconfigurations to assist with a number oftasks including the installation of pipesand ventilators. Additionally, MINELIFT 4can be outfitted with an auxiliary liftplatform that increases the total worksurface area by 700 millimetres to 3.4 by2.55 metres. Where safety is concerned,the MINELIFT 4 comes with a downhillspeed control function that prevents theoperator from driving too quickly andmisusing the brakes. There is also theoption of an onboard generator andcompressor, which allow operators towork autonomously while also reducingthe risk of accidents from using externalpower and air supplies. One of thebiggest risks to operators, said marketingmanager Christine Krauss, is rollover ofthe equipment during operation. SoMINELIFT 4 is equipped with a hydraulicplatform tilting system and heavy-dutychassis stabilizers. “MINELIFT 4 is stablein typical inclinations found inunderground mining,” said Krauss.

More for your oreMining crushers experience a lot of wear and tear on a day-to-daybasis, resulting in regular maintenance and repairs. That is whySandvik designed its CH860 and CH865 to include features thatdeliver the durability and reliability needed to improve overallperformance. The mainshaft and shells are built with high-strengthalloys and extra reinforcements that allow it to withstand more force.The electric dump valve system reduces pressure peaks andmechanical stress on the crusher by checking hydraulic pressure200 times per second. Also, the tank system is equipped with acooling mechanism, temperature monitors, an offline filter and asafety system. The CH860, meant for high-capacity secondarycrushing, has a 500-kilowatt motor. The CH865, particularly useful intertiary applications, creates a finer product and a smallercirculating load inside the circuit. This results in a five per centperformance increase. “[It] adds up,” said product marketingspecialist Robert Picard. “That’s more for your ore. We call itoutperformance; our customers call it more profit.”

Blasting from a distanceFor blasting products, thestandards for safety andcontrol are becomingmore exacting.According to SandyTavelli, global productmanager of electronicinitiation systems at DynoNobel, many customerstoday request a productthat offers remote firing.

To adapt to the evolving security and safety needs of its clients, thecompany updated the popular DigiShot 300S system. Theenhanced DigiShot 300 RF system offers two main improvements:testability, which is lacking in non-electric type systems; and infiniteprogramming ability, which enhances control of both fragmentationand vibration. The system can fire up to 450 detonators at a distanceof 1.5 kilometres, and it maintains the ability to synchronize with twoblasting boxes when firing in hardwire mode.


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Teck and Kimberley, B.C.

team up on solar plantproject

18

Roundup 2015: “intelligent exploration” is key to finding the nextgeneration of mines

20

B.C. announces Major Mines Permitting Office

22

MetSoc launches its new Legacy Project in February

25

NewsDesign flaws Geotechnical experts locate the underlying cause of Mount Polley tailings breach

A three-person investigative panelappointed by the government of BritishColumbia reported in January that adesign flaw was responsible for theMount Polley tailings dam breach inAugust 2014. The geotechnical experts– Norbert Morgenstern, professor emer-itus of civil engineering at the Universityof Alberta; Steven Vick, a geotechnicalengineer and review consultant; andDirk Van Zyl, a professor of miningengineering at UBC – also issued recom-mendations to improve future tailingsstorage facility (TSF) designs, all ofwhich the province pledged to adopt.

The panel was asked to identify thetechnical mechanism for Mount Polley’sTSF failure. The panel noted that it hadalso been authorized to “make recom-mendations to government on actionsthat could be taken to ensure that asimilar failure does not occur at othermine sites in B.C.” and “to comment onwhat actions could have been taken toprevent this failure and to identify prac-tices or successes in other jurisdictionsthat could be considered for implemen-tation in B.C.”

How it failedThe panel investigation pinned the

failure on a layer of fine, glaciallydeposited silts and clays known asglaciolacustrine (GLU) soil locatedeight metres below the base of theperimeter embankment. It had notbeen detected at a critical point in theembankment, and strength data from

GLU elsewhere had been misinter-preted, according to the report. As theoperation added height to its dam overthe years, the layer failed and broughtdown a section of the embankment,releasing water and tailings.

The panel concluded that the siltand clay of the GLU layer had con-tracted under pressure. With slow load-ing, the bearing capacity of soilbecomes stronger as water drains outand the foundation condenses. But if itis loaded too quickly, water is not

expelled and instead creates pore pres-sures that weaken the soil. The originaldam design incorrectly assumed thatthe GLU was too consolidated to con-tract further.

While the panelists were most trou-bled by this mistake, they also citedwater balance, water treatment, over-steepened dam slopes, deferred but-tressing, core width and the selectionof a minimum factor of safety (FS) of1.3 as poor practices. (The FS wasabove the dam industry standard of

In January a B.C. government-appointed investigative panel cited design flaws as the cause of the dam breach atImperial Metals’ Mount Polley tailings storage facility last August.

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1.5 at the breach site, but not every-where.) “Multiple failure modes werein progress, and they differed mainlyin how far they had progressed downtheir respective failure pathways,” thepanelists wrote.

Steve Robertson, vice-president ofcorporate affairs at mine owner ImperialMetals, said his company was notresponsible for the GLU flaw. “It is therole of the geotechnical engineer tocome up with the strength of the mate-rials that are in the foundation, notImperial’s,” he said. “We relied on thedesign that was provided to us.”

Consulting firm Knight Piésold wasthe engineer of record when the damwas originally designed and constructedfrom 1995 to 1997. It issued a state-ment last August, declining to commenton “the details of the incident, or on thedesign, construction, operations, watermanagement practices or any otheraspects of the Mount Polley tailings stor-age facility,” because changes made after

responsibility was transferred to AMECin 2011 meant that the facility could“no longer be considered a Knight Pié-sold Ltd. design.”

Asked if Imperial was consideringtaking legal action against the designfirm, Robertson said: “We haven’t cometo any conclusion on what our forwardactions are going to be.”

Why it failedThe panel’s evaluation of regulatory

oversight found that well-qualified staffat the B.C. Ministry of Energy andMines had performed its role asexpected. A 2013 geotechnical inspec-tion found Mount Polley compliantwith permit requirements and acceptedengineering practices.

“Additional inspections of the TSFwould not have prevented the failure,”wrote panel members.

The panel recommended that BritishColumbia and its mining industryadopt both best available practices and

best available technologies. Noting reg-ulators’ limited ability to influencedesign, the panel members recom-mended the province adopt quantitativeperformance objectives that would giveregulators better means to identifypotential problems.

Other suggested practices includeindependent tailings review boards(ITRBs), mandatory adherence to theMining Association of Canada’sTowards Sustainable Mining initiativeor an equivalent program, and moredetailed permit applications. “Thepanel would require a bankable feasi-bility study and related permit applica-tion to have considered all technical,environmental, social and economicaspects of the project,” wrote Morgen-stern, Vick and Van Zyl.

Studies should not take cost as adeciding factor and should aggressivelypursue alternatives to water covers,according to the panel members, whopointed out that the chemical stability

news


offered by water cannot be securedwithout physical stability. “Dam failuresare reduced by reducing the number ofdams that can fail,” they wrote. Basedon past performance, the panel pre-dicted there will be two conventionaltailings dam failures per decade unlessreforms are enacted. They suggested fil-tered, compacted tailings like thosestored at Hecla Mining Company’sGreens Creek silver mine in Alaska as apotential way to avoid failing dams.

Provincial responseBill Bennett, B.C.’s minister of

energy and mines, said the provincewould follow through on every one ofthe panel’s recommendations. He saidhe clarified directly with the panel thatit was not recommending eschewingwater storage altogether, even withnew mines: “So when we say, ‘Yes, weaccept the recommendation for bestavailable technology,’ we’re not cherrypicking and saying, ‘That one that they

used in the example is the only onethat we’re going to allow in BritishColumbia.’ And it’s very, very impor-tant for me to make that point, becauseobviously I don’t want the industry tothink that we’re going to be that prescriptive.”

To Bennett, it was “shocking” thatthe design and construction of a tail-ings dam could have taken place with-out critical information. “I would nothave believed before that the MountPolley accident was possible inCanada,” he said. “I have a great deal offaith in the engineering industry and Ihave faith in the mining industry, butclearly, this accident and then thisreport is showing us that there’s morethat we need to do to make sure thatwe account for mistakes like the onethat was made at Mount Polley.”

Immediately following the release ofthe panel review, the provincial govern-ment announced that the chief inspec-tor of mines will require all operating

mines with tailings storage dams toreport by June 30 whether their damsrest on GLU soil and whether thestrength and location is understood.Ministry spokesperson David Haslamsaid ITRBs would become mandatoryfor operating mines and the govern-ment would “initiate a code review todetermine how to best implement thepanel’s recommendations regardingbest available technology and practices,additional permit application require-ments and safety standards that gobeyond the Canadian Dam Associationguidelines and are tailored to BritishColumbia.” No timelines were offered.

The report did not address liabilityfor the breach. Two ongoing investiga-tions by the Conservation Officer Serv-ice and the chief inspector of minesmay supply answers if they find evi-dence of code noncompliance. Thechief inspector of mines hopes torelease conclusions this summer. – Eavan Moore


Mexican copper minesuspended temporarily

Aura Minerals suspended operationsat its Aranzazu copper mine in Mexicodue to the current commodity price,the company announced in January.

“Although this decision is a difficultand concerning one, in particular forAranzazu’s affected employees and thelocal community, it will preserve our

cash position during these uncertaineconomic times,” said company presi-dent and CEO Jim Bannantine. Theprice of copper hovered at aroundUS$2.60 per pound ($/lb) as of mid-February, down from about US$3.20/lbat this point last year.

Copper concentrate will continue tobe processed until stockpiles run out,after which personnel will remain atthe mine site to ensure environmental,

news

board appointments in the naturalresource sector and make up 14 per centof the entire Canadian mining workforce.

Heggie aims to address this disparityby promoting female support in the cor-porate sector. She spearheaded theBetty-Ann Heggie Womentorship pro-gram at the University of Saskatchewan,which launched in September 2009 andmatches seasoned female professionalswith new graduates.

Things have already changed drasti-cally for women in mining since eventhe mid-90s, Heggie said, recalling aninstance when she was asked not to toura mine in Germany because of an oldsuperstition that women entering mineswould lead to a deadly disaster.

Today, Heggie is proud to see themany female engineers and managerswho make up WIM Canada: “I justknow we’re going to be better off and itwarms my heart.” – Sahar Fatima

Betty-Ann Heggie, the first femalesenior vice-president of PotashCorp, isthis year’s winner of the Women in Min-ing (WIM) Canada Trailblazer Award.

The now-retired Heggie, a member ofCanada’s Top 100 Most PowerfulWomen Hall of Fame, officially acceptedthe award in early March at the Prospec-tors and Developers Conference inToronto.

“I was deeply flattered,” Heggie saidafter WIM Canada announced the newsin January. “I was very honoured thatthey would consider me a kind of apseudo leader.”

The Trailblazer Award was estab-lished by WIM in 2013 to recognize“women who have taken personal careerrisks and helped to advance the careersof other women,” according to the not-for-profit organization.

WIM Canada figures indicate thatwomen represent just 11 per cent of

WIM welcomes 2015 trailblazer

Betty-Ann Heggie, this year’s winnerof the WIM Canada TrailblazerAward, was the first female seniorvice-president of PotashCorp andspearheaded the Betty-Ann HeggieWomentorship program at theUniversity of Saskatchewan whichlaunched in September 2009.

Engineering consultancy BBAreceived an honourable mentionat the 25th Énergia Competition inFebruary in the category of “indus-trial or manufacturing processeswith $5 million or more in energycosts per year.” The firm was com-mended for its work in perform-ance optimization at Glencore’sRaglan mine in Quebec. Organ-ized each year by the AssociationQuébécoise pour la maîtrise del’énergie (AQME), the competitionrecognizes energy efficiency andmanagement projects throughoutthe province.

This year marks the 65th anniver-sary of Rousseau Métal. Sinceopening its doors in 1950,Rousseau Métal has become anationally recognized brand thatspecializes in industrial storagesystems. It began by serving theautomotive, aerospace and mili-tary sectors and has sinceexpanded into the health care,agricultural and mining industries.Rousseau Métal now has morethan 300 employees and is basedin St-Jean-Port-Joli, Quebec.


safety, social and regulatory standardsare maintained during the suspension.

The company is currently reviewingthe mine’s development plans, site costsand capital expenditures, and plans torelease a new bankable NI 43-101 reportduring the second half of 2015. Theupdated report may include mineexpansion plans that are smaller scalethan those proposed in the 2012 prelim-inary economic assessment. It will alsohelp the company secure financing to re-open and expand the Aranzazu mine.

Last year Aranzazu produced 14.6million pounds of contained copper.The mine has Measured and IndicatedResources of about 588.7 millionounces of copper, 10.3 million ouncesof silver and 390,000 ounces of gold. – Katelyn Spidle

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Western Canada’s firstcommercial solar plant, con-structed on a Teck Resourceslegacy site, is expected tobegin operating in March.

The $5.35-million Sun-Mine project was built onTeck’s former Sullivan minesite. The lead-zinc mine, inproduction for 100 years, wasthe main economic driver ofKimberley, B.C., before beingshut down in 2001.

SunMine, a 1.05-megawatt(MW) plant, is expected togenerate an estimated 1,900megawatt-hours (MWh) ofelectricity each year. A por-tion will be used in Kimber-ley, and the rest will be soldto B.C. Hydro. Overall, it isexpected to produce electric-ity for roughly 200 homes.

In 2008 a Vancouver-basednon-profit that focuses onrenewable energy and climate changecalled The EcoSmart Foundationapproached the city and Teck with theidea for the project. The organizationpointed out that Kimberley is locatedin the sunniest area of B.C., and has alarge amount of reclaimed industrialland – namely the Sullivan site. It sug-gested there was an opportunity for anenergy project. “EcoSmart was the ini-tiator, the visionary, of the project,”said Kevin Wilson, Kimberley’s eco-nomic development officer.

The city voted in a 2011 referen-dum to borrow $2 million from theFederation of Canadian Municipalities’Green Municipal Fund for the project.Around the same time, Teckannounced it would contribute thesame amount towards the solar plant.Along with the funding, the companygave the city a 30-year lease on theSullivan site, free of charge, and con-tributed additional support staff tohelp draft legal agreements and adviseon construction and communicationdecisions.

“The former Sullivan mine site ispretty integral to the whole city ofKimberley,” said Mark Edwards, Teck’svice-president of community and gov-ernment relations. “It and the citygrew up together, essentially. We stillhave a presence in Kimberley, we’restill contributing to a lot of the com-munity activities, and this was just agreat way for us to continue our con-tributions.”

Kimberley also received $1 millionfrom the province through B.C.’sInnovative Clean Energy Fund andanother $300,000 from ColumbiaBasin Trust.

SunMine lays claim to many firsts:it is Canada’s first solar plant set up ona former mine site, the first large plantto connect with the B.C. Hydro grid,and the first utility-scale project inCanada to use solar trackers.

The solar trackers have light sen-sors to track the angle of the sun, andload sensors to allow them to turnthemselves to minimize wind expo-sure or to dump snow. The sensor sys-

tem is expected to increase the farm’senergy yield by 30 per cent.

“Part of the reason for the trackersis that we’re in a heavy snow environ-ment,” said Wilson. “That was the big,special consideration we had to takeinto account. We wanted to be able tomanage the snow without having tomanually clean the panels.”

The plant is made up of more than4,000 solar panels, arranged on 96solar tracking structures. The trackersare 38 by 20 feet, with 42 panels oneach one.

Wilson said the legacy site neededvery little additional work to prepareit for SunMine: only upgrading theroad to the site, and excavating thefoundations for the tracker masts.“Teck’s done an enormous amount ofwork on reclaiming the site and it’sactually quite an interesting casestudy in reclamation best practices.They created a unique strain ofhydroseeding that’s able to set rootin the soil conditions that we have,and there’s vegetation all over this

Harnessing the sunTeck and Kimberley, B.C. team up on solar plant project

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The SunMine solar plant joint-project by Teck Resources and the City of Kimberley, B.C., will generate an estimated 1,900megawatt-hours of electricity each year, part of which will be used by the city while the rest will be sold to B.C. Hydro.


former mine site that used to bebasically a big industrial site with novegetation at all.”

The land did, however, present achallenge for the solar project. WhenTeck was reclaiming the Sullivan site,it capped the mine with several metresof glacial till and float rock before itbegan reseeding it. “You can imagine,you can’t pound a post into that,” Wil-son said.

Because the site was in a remotelocation – four kilometres from thenearest highway on a forestry-qualityroad – bringing in concrete trucks topour foundations was not the idealsolution. Instead, tripod-shaped steelroots attached to the tracker mast (thevertical piece of metal and concretethat holds up the tracker) were buriedbeneath the ground and backfilled as aworkaround foundation.

Edwards said Teck plans to usewhat it learned about solar power

technology during the construction ofSunMine and apply that to its operat-ing mines.

“This is our first significant ventureinto solar and we’ve learned a lotabout the technology that we hope toutilize and apply in other placesaround the world,” he said. “We oper-ate in northern Chile, and it’s a verydry part of the world with a lot of sun-shine, so there’s pretty significantpotential there.”

SunMine could also point to a newway for Teck to reclaim mine siteswhen there are no longer resources toextract.

“Every site’s going to be unique,”said Edwards. “Some may have energypotential, be it solar or wind, andsome may have other significantvalue, and it’s all going to be on acase-by-case basis. We’ll definitelyapply that thought process and adaptit to each site.” – Kelsey Rolfe

news

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erratum

We reported in our February 2015 issue that last year the International Min-erals Innovation Institute (IMII) had financed the Centre for Minerals Innova-tion (CMI) along with nine other programs designed to support miningeducation, training and research in Saskatchewan. In reality, IMII fundedeight programs in 2014 besides the CMI, for a total of nine projects. Weregret the error.


Mining industry leadershave historically used thepodium at the MineralExploration Roundup Con-ference to encourage compa-nies to find smarter ways toexplore. This year, in thatspirit, Goldcorp CEO ChuckJeannes and Franco-NevadaCEO David Harquail urgedenterprises to focus more onthe quality rather than quan-tity of resources in theground, and to cut discoverycosts through innovation andbetter allocation of scarcecapital.

“If you make a big produc-tivity breakthrough and dis-cover a mining camp, therewill be unlimited capital forthat innovation,” Harquailsaid. “But if we just keepdoing the same old thing, themarket won’t finance it any-more because they’ve seenthe financial outcome.”

His message is particularlyrelevant in British Columbia,which, according to confer-ence organizer AME BC, ishome to 58 per cent of Canada’s 1,500publicly traded mineral explorationand mining companies. It is timelytoo, as spending on exploration inB.C. totalled $338 million in 2014,down from a 20-year peak of $680million in 2012. These grim numbersmirror the almost 50 per cent drop inglobal exploration spending over thesame period.

Still, it was not all doom and gloomat the conference. Jeannes lifted dele-gates’ spirits when he predicted thatthe gold sector is “on its way back torelevance” for investors based on supply-demand fundamentals and theaverage 20-year mine-permitting win-dow. He said he believes this willallow companies to move forward andsee market multiples bounce backfrom a 30-year low.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark offeredencouragement to the beleagueredindustry by noting that the province ismore than halfway to its 2012 goal ofopening 15 new and expanded minesby 2015. She cited construction ofImperial Metals’ Red Chris copper-gold mine as a major event of 2014,along with the completion of theNorthwest Transmission Line, whichwill provide low-cost power to RedChris and other mine projects innorthwestern B.C.

Clark also announced a $10-mil-lion investment to improve the coor-dination of major mine permits (moreon pg. 22) and help restore confi-dence in the wake of the recent MountPolley mine tailings spill nearWilliams Lake. “We’re increasingresources to have more boots on the

ground and perform moreinspections,” she said.

Along with Red Chris, whichis now in the final commission-ing stage, the list of potentialnew B.C. mines includesSeabridge Gold’s KSM gold-cop-per project, Pretivm Resources’Brucejack gold project and NewGold’s Blackwater gold project.Several B.C. past-producers arealso poised for a revival, notablyChieftain Metals with its poly-metallic Tulsequah Chief mineand Sona Resources’ Blackdomegold mine.

Roundup 2015 also gavecompanies the opportunity tohighlight “intelligent explo-ration” – the theme of this year’sconference in Vancouver – atearly-stage projects with poten-tial to become new mines. Oneexample of the strategy to focuson high-margin resources is LacMinerals’ Red Mountain goldproject, which has seen $40 mil-lion of exploration since its dis-covery in 1989.

IDM Mining, headed byRobert McLeod, optioned the

northwestern B.C. project in April2014. The junior miner has sinceoutlined a Measured and IndicatedResource of 1.45 million tonnesaveraging 8.15 grams per tonne (g/t)of gold and 29.57 g/t silver, plusadditional Inferred Resources.McLeod said retreating glaciers haveexposed new showings to be furtherexplored this year. Mine permittingis under way.

“We’re excited about the prospectof developing a high-grade, low-capexand low-cost underground mine nearmy hometown of Stewart,” McLeodsaid.

In neighbouring Yukon, KaminakGold is advancing its wholly ownedCoffee gold project as a proposedopen-pit heap-leach mine. “This is anew deposit style for Yukon,” said

“Intelligent exploration” at Roundup 2015The key to finding the next generation of mines

Goldcorp CEO Chuck Jeannes (above) said at the AME BC Roundup 2015Conference in Vancouver, B.C. in January that he believes the gold sector willbounce back soon, based on supply-demand fundamentals.

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Kaminak president Eira Thomas. “Wesee it as a brand new gold district.”

Thomas stressed the project’srobust economics, based on a prelimi-nary economic assessment that pro-jected all-in sustaining costs ofUS$688 per ounce, capital costs of$305 million, and production of167,000 ounces of gold per year overan 11-year mine life.

Exploration spending at $80 mil-lion in 2014 is still at robust levels inYukon, although down 13 per centfrom 2013. Alaska saw a big slumplast year to $92 million from $180million a year earlier.

The big surprise was the NorthwestTerritories, which saw a 32 per centincrease in spending on explorationand deposit appraisal last year to $103million. The uptick was largely attrib-uted to a resurgence of diamondexploration near three producing dia-mond mines and proposed expansionsat Ekati and Diavik. – Vivian Danielson

news

GIVING BACKBrazilian mining giant Vale partnered with the United Steelworkers to raisemore than $865,000 for the United Way Centraide Sudbury and Nipissingdistricts, the charity announced in January. Vale matched employee con-tributions, which increased by 20 per cent over last year. The jointfundraising campaign is the largest financial contributor to the local dis-tricts’ community campaign.

Employees of mine contractor Dumas in Kirkland Lake and Timmins raisedmore than $11,000 for local charities, the company announced in Decem-ber. The donations went to a woman’s shelter and food bank, as well asthe North Eastern Ontario Family and Children’s Services (NEOFACS), theGood Samaritan and The Yo Mobile.

Employees from Goldcorp’s Musselwhite mine in northwestern Ontariodistributed 9,000 pounds worth of turkeys and 1,000 stockings to FirstNations communities in December. The gesture was meant to showappreciation to the communities of Cat Lake, North Caribou, Wunnumin,Kingfisher and Mishkeegogamang for their long-standing partnerships withthe company. Compiled by Katelyn Spidle

Digging deep to find the solutions that matter.

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Speedier mine approvals may be onthe horizon in British Columbia fol-lowing Premier Christy Clark’s promiseof additional funding in this year’sbudget for a new office dedicated toissuing mining permits. The an -nouncement was made at the AMEBC’s Roundup conference in January.

Ministry of Energy and Minesspokesperson Jake Jacobs said specificfunding for the Major Mines PermittingOffice (MMPO) has not yet been allo-cated, but the ministry will see its basefunding rise by $6 million to $17.1million. New permit fees for mines areexpected to bring in another $3 mil-lion. Exploration companies will notbe charged.

“Up to 10 new mines are expectedto proceed in the next few years, andthis new funding will make sure we areready to support these projects andensure the safety of this importantindustry as it continues to grow,” saidClark in a press release.

The MMPO is expected to launchthis spring once the B.C. legislatureapproves the budget, which wasunveiled in February.

The office will aim to improve coor-dination across ministries so decisionson mine authorizations are made moreefficiently, Jacobs said. Technical

experts in relevant ministries will stillreview the applications for new miningprojects, but the extra funding willallow the Ministry of Energy and Minesto hire additional technical experts toreview applications, cutting down waittimes. The Office of the Chief Inspectorof Mines will remain responsible forinspections.

“The Project Board for the MMPOwill guide resourcing, prioritizationand issues management in a way thatbest addresses the specific needs of themining sector,” Jacobs said. “The

MMPO will include project managersand directors who have detailedknowledge of the mining sector.”

The new office will focus on “majormines,” which the ministry defines asprojects that trigger the environmentalassessment (EA) process. Any proposalthat requires the creation of a MineReview Committee (MRC) – an advi-sory committee comprising all threelevels of government and First Nations– is also considered a major mine,Jacobs said.

New permit fees will range from$4,000 to $32,000 for placer mines,gravel pits and quarries. Mineral andcoal mine operations will be chargedanywhere from $10,000 for a simplepermit application to $125,000 for acomplex application requiring anMRC.

Karina Briño, president and CEO ofthe Mining Association of BritishColumbia, welcomed the announce-ment. She said navigating the govern-ment system can be challenging formining companies seeking new per-mits, as they must often obtain approvalfrom several different ministries.

“There are four or five agencies thatcould be involved in parts of the decision- making,” Briño said. “Hous-ing everyone together should lead toclarity around how to navigate thatprocess.” – S.F.

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B.C. announces major mines permitting office

Christy Clark announced funding for a newMajor Mines Permitting Office to coordinatedecisions across ministries for improving theefficiency of mine authorization.


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Four mining legends were wel-comed into the Canadian MiningHall of Fame (CMHF) at the 27thannual induction ceremony and din-ner at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal YorkHotel in January.

More than 800 people attendedthe event, which has been selling outfor years, according to CIM executivedirector Jean Vavrek. “It’s the majormining event that kicks off everyyear,” he said.

Pierre Lassonde, chairman ofFranco-Nevada and a CMHFinductee himself, acted as master ofceremonies for the evening, a role hehas played on 14 occasions.

The accomplishments of PeterM.D. Bradshaw, Ronald K. Netolitzky,Mackenzie Iles Watson and Ian Telferwere highlighted in individual videosthat included colleagues’ testimonials.

Each inductee gave a four-minutespeech upon accepting his award. “Isure wish that my old headmaster washere tonight,” said Bradshaw. “Thisisn’t where he thought I’d end up!”

Vavrek explained that the cere-mony is held at the Royal York for areason: The Canadian Pacific Railway,a company that in many waysenabled the development of the min-ing industry, built the historic hotel.

The 2015 induction ceremonywas supported by Goldcorp as dia-mond sponsor and by Barrick,Franco-Nevada, IBK Capital Corp.,SNC-Lavalin and Yamana Gold asplatinum sponsors. – K.S.

Ian Telfer, Peter Bradshaw, Ron Netolitzky and Mackenzie Watson (left to right) were inducted into theCanadian Mining Hall of Fame in January.

Full house at Mining Hall of Fame induction ceremony

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N.W.T. govt. establishesmining board

The Northwest Territories miningsector will earn some official devoteesthis spring.

At the AME BC’s Roundup confer-ence in January, Northwest Territories(N.W.T.) Minister of Industry, Tourismand Investment David Ramsayannounced the establishment of aMining Industry Advisory Board todraw explorers, investors and miningcompanies to the region.

The panel will consist of five toseven members, Ramsay said.

Although he stayed mum aboutwho will sit at the table, he said it

would represent “a cross-section ofinterests,” from mining CEOs to localstakeholders and First Nations. “Iknow what I’m looking for,” he said. “Icertainly have a few people in mindright now that I’ll be approaching inthe short term.”

In 2014 the territory saw a 32 percent spike in spending on explorationand deposit appraisals to $103 mil-lion. Diamond exploration and devel-opment accounted for nearly twothirds of that, according to NaturalResources Canada.

The panel will be tasked with keep-ing up that momentum.

“We [need] a positive climate forinvestment with a reputation as being a

mining jurisdiction people can trust,”he said, adding that this includes tak-ing a “balanced approach to sustain-able responsible development.”

The goal of the panel, Ramsay said,is to create legislation to continuebuilding on the objectives of theN.W.T.’s 2013 mineral developmentstrategy.

“We’re encouraged by what we’veseen and where things stand today,” hesaid, “but we definitely need to makesure we’re putting out the right kindsof messages as a jurisdiction.”

The advisory panel will hold its firstmeeting in May.

– Andrew Seale


Goldcorp acquires Probe Mines

Vancouver-based mining giantGoldcorp just got a bit bigger. Thecompany closed a definitive agreementon Jan. 27 to acquire Toronto-basedjunior mining company Probe Mines.

With the friendly takeover, Gold-corp now has claim to the BordenGold project in northern Ontario. Latelast spring, Probe released an updatedMineral Resource Estimate for theproject that included an undergroundIndicated Resource of 1.60 millionounces of gold averaging 5.39 gramsper tonne of gold and an InferredResource of 0.43 million ounces aver-aging 4.43 grams per tonne at a 2.5-grams-per-tonne cutoff grade.

The Borden find made in 2010 andsubsequent work on the projectearned Probe president and CEODavid Palmer the 2015 Bill DennisAward for a Canadian mineral discov-ery or prospecting success fromPDAC.

Palmer is confident Goldcorp’sfinancial and technical expertise willhelp advance the Borden project,according to a press release on Jan.19. “This acquisition represents notonly a validation of the project and itsvalue, but also an opportunity forshareholders to participate in futuresuccess with one of the industry’smost respected gold producers, Gold-corp, as well as an experienced andcommitted team of explorers in NewProbe,” said Palmer. “We are gratefulfor all of the support and loyalty fromour shareholders and look forward tocommencing the next phasetogether.”

Shareholders of Probe will receivean interest in a new exploration com-pany called New Probe. This company,to be formed in partnership withGoldcorp, will keep Probe’s currentCEO, board of directors and manage-ment team. Probe shareholders areexpected to meet to approve the trans-action before the end of the first quar-ter in 2015. – K.S.

Big move

In one of the largest shipments ever made within the province ofSaskatchewan, including equipment spanning 10 metres in diameter andweighing 180 tonnes, Veolia Water Technologies announced in February it haddelivered its HPD Crystallization Technology (above) to K+S Potash Canada’sLegacy project where it will purify and produce more than two million tonnesof potassium chloride per year from solution-mined potash.

The facts at hand

The mining industry has receivedits annual report card. In February, theMining Association of Canada (MAC)released its report Facts & Figures of theCanadian Mining Industry 2014, basedon 2013 data provided by the federalgovernment.

For the last decade, Canada was thetop destination for exploration. How-ever, investment in this category fell by41 per cent to $2.3 billion in 2013,causing Canada to slip to second placeafter Australia. The report found thatthe recent decline in global commodityprices, lack of infrastructure in theNorth, and a complicated regulatoryprocess are to blame for last year’sdecline.

Fortunately, MAC’s findings alsodemonstrate that the industry is key tothe Canadian economy in terms ofcontributions to national GDP andemployment opportunities.

“To adjust to lower prices for somecommodities, and to cope with highoperating costs and a still uncertainglobal economy, it is more critical thanever that government remain focusedon expanding Canada’s trade networkand enhancing Canada’s overall com-petitiveness as a destination for newmining development through strategicinvestments and effective policies,”said MAC president and CEO PierreGratton.

$54 billion Contribution of the miningindustry to Canada’s GDP

380,000 Number of Canadians workingin the mining industry

68,000 Mining jobs in Ontario alone

3,400 Canadian companies thatsupply goods and services tothe mining industry

41 % Amount exploration investmentin Canada fell by

2nd Exploration spendingworldwide

19.6 % Percentage of total Canadianexports from the miningindustry*

*All figures from 2013

– K.S.

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Building a legacyCIM’s Metallurgy and Materials Soci-

ety (MetSoc) and the Canada Scienceand Technology Museums Corporationlaunched in February a new plan todocument the importance of metal-lurgy for the development of Canada.The two organizations are raising$120,000 to support the History ofMetallurgy and Mining Legacy Project,which involves the creation of an oralhistory video bank that includes inter-views with leaders in the exploration,mining, and metallurgy and materialsfields. The funds will also go towardsresearching how metallurgy con-tributed to Canada’s progress, andguide the Canada Science and Technol-ogy Museum in building a collection ofmeaningful metallurgical artefacts.Eventually, the interviews will bearchived at the museum in Ottawa andbe available on its website. “Metallurgyand mining are cornerstones on whichCanadian industry and society wereestablished,” said Sam Marcuson, the

historical metallurgy chair for MetSoc.The project, he added, “will benefit boththe visitors to the museum, about300,000 annually, and users of the web-site – about 3.5 million hits annually.”Hatch, CIM, MetSoc and the Canadian

Mineral Processors have contributed$100,000 of the total budget, along withprivate donations of $12,000. The pro-ject’s proponents are hoping to raise thefinal $8,000 in order to get it underway. – Peter Braul

CIM executive director Jean Vavrek (middle) signed a memorandum of understanding with Kevin Fraser (left),director of autoclave technology at Hatch, and Fern Proulx (right), COO of the Canada Science and TechnologyMuseum Corporation, initiating the History of Metallurgy and Mining Legacy Project at the Canadian MineralProcessors conference in Ottawa in January.

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Project PipelineEndeavour Mining received the final mining permit forits Houndé gold project in Burkina Faso on Feb. 6. Theproject has a 10-year mine life, with Proven andProbable Reserves of 2.1 million ounces.

The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency andthe Ontario Ministry of Environment and Climate Changeapproved on Jan. 30 New Gold’s Rainy River gold-silverproject in Ontario. The deposit contains 13.2 millionounces of Proven and Probable Reserves, and the millis expected to process 21,000 tonnes of ore per dayfrom the open pit over a 16-year mine life.

Orezone Gold signed on Jan. 27 a royalty agreementwith Sandstorm Gold worth up to US$8 million. Thefunding will be used to complete the feasibility study forthe company’s Oreille gold project in Burkina Faso.

The federal government, following the Nunavut ImpactReview Board’s recommendations, approved AgnicoEagle’s Meliadine gold mine near the territory’s Kivalliq

Region on Jan. 27. The project, which contains 2.8 million ounces of Proven and Probable Reserves,will consist of an underground mine and five open pits.

Dominion Diamond Corp. released on Jan. 27 the resultsof a prefeasibility study for the Jay kimberlite pipe ofthe Ekati diamond mine in the Northwest Territories.The company expects to mine 45.6 million tonnes ofore from the deposit over its 11-year mine life. Theproject has an estimated post-tax net present value ofUS$610 million.

Minera Boleo and Korea Resources’ Boleo plantachieved first copper production on Jan. 17 aftersuffering various setbacks since receiving financing in2010. The mine, located on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula, isexpected to produce 51,000 tonnes of copper, 1,700tonnes of metallic cobalt and 25,000 tonnes of zincsulphate each year.


Ottawa’s Westin hotel was packedwith activity in January for the annualCanadian Mineral Processors confer-ence. More than 520 delegates from13 countries brought together manyof the biggest brains in the processingsector of the mining industry, but thethree-day event was also a greatchance to socialize. Students made upa critical part of the mix, gainingvaluable industry contacts and soak-ing up knowledge. “I wasn’t sure thatI was interested in mineral

processing, but this really made merealize that this is what I want frommy degree,” said Sharayah Read, whostudies chemical engineering technol-ogy at Cambrian College in Sudbury.

Whether by students or otherwise,knowledge was not the only thingbeing soaked up. Mineral processorsare adept at balancing work withpleasure and documented that factwith the conference’s first selfie com-petition, launched during the awardsgala. The results, in which delegates

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Mixing work with pleasure at CMP 2015

Attendees of the Canadian Mineral Processors conference chat between sessions.


did a commendable job of hiding theirbeverages, can be found by searchingfor #cmp2015 on Instagram. Theintensive three-day technical programwas also complemented by the annualWest vs. East hockey game, an earlymorning -20 C skate on the RideauCanal (attended by just one bravesoul) and other great chances toexpend energy. For a copy of the pro-ceedings, contact Janice Zinck at [email protected]. – P.B.

• AWARDS •

Mineral Processor of the Year: Robert Rotzinger

Lifetime Achievement Award: René Del Villar

Ray MacDonald Volunteer Award: Raymond MacDonald

Past Chair: Pierre Julien

Best Presentation: Rodrigo Araya

Student Technical Report CompetitionAward: Kristie Peloquin, Graham Cross

André Laplante Memorial Scholarship:Michele Tuchscherer

Byron Knelson Memorial Scholarship:William Yin

CIM Fellowship: Donald Leroux, Ian Orford

Bruce McLeod was appointed president and CEO ofSabina Gold & Silver on Feb. 15 following the retirement offormer president and CEO Rob Pease. McLeod has morethan 30 years’ experience as a mining engineer. He is the for-mer CEO of Creston Moly Corp. and founder of SherwoodCopper and Stornoway Diamonds.

North American Nickel appointed Sharon Taylor chief geo-physicist and Patricia Tirschmann vice-president ofexploration, the company announced Feb. 5. Taylor, a vet-eran of Falconbridge, Noranda and Xstrata, has 25 years ofexperience specializing in applying and interpreting electronmicroscopy (EM) data and integrating airborne, ground anddownhole EM results. Tirschmann also has 25 years expe-rience in the area of magmatic nickel-copper sulphide

deposit exploration. Before joining the company as principalnickel geologist in 2014, Tirschmann served ContinentalNickel for six years as vice-president of exploration.

Jacynthe Côté joined Suncor’s board of directors on Feb.3. Côté has a long history in the aluminum sector. Shejoined Alcan in 1988 and rose to the position of CEO, a roleshe held at Rio Tinto Alcan between 2009 and 2014.

Andrew Cheatle became PDAC’s new executive directoron Feb. 2. During his 25-year career in exploration, Cheatleserved as president, CEO and director at Unigold, vice-president of exploration at Treasury Metals, general man-ager and director at Landore Resources, principal geologistat AMEC, chief geologist at Goldcorp-Placer Dome, andmineral resource manager at Anglo American.

Movin’ on upMovin’ on up Compiled by Katelyn Spidle

LinkedIn, the premier business-to-business (B2B) socialmedia platform, has 10 million members in Canada and contin-ues to grow. Its ability to target audiences by geography, indus-try, title and more make it an unparalleled platform for B2Bmarketers to reach employees, policy-makers and other keyaudiences.

Few of the companies we analyzed are active on LinkedIndespite the potential for targeted reach, particularly that ofemployees. Internal communication is key for most companies,and unlike any other social media platform, employees are auto-matically followers of their employer’s LinkedIn page.

Barrick is one of the few mining companies that are bothactive and effective on LinkedIn. It has 150,000+ followers, andthe content posted generally receives high engagement, demon-strated by frequent “likes” and comments on its posts.

One of the challenges for brands in social media is producingand curating content. A brand may wish to communicate thesame message on social media as it does through other channelslike its website, email, or print and broadcast ads, but themedium is starkly different. With its constant flow of content,no single post or image defines an identity or a platform. Onaverage a tweet “lives” – that is, may be surfaced in a user’s feed– for a window of just 18 minutes. An active company’s pagetherefore requires a steady, bite-sized flow of content. With eye- catching visuals like high-quality photos, posts perform betterby reaching more people and eliciting deeper engagement.

For most brands, reach, and not content creation, is the mainobjective in social media. Today, organic reach, or the number ofunique viewers who see company content in their news feed, islow and declining. According to Facebook, just 16 per cent offans are reached organically by brand content on their socialmedia site. The solution to this is paid media. LinkedIn andTwitter both offer advertising products such as native advertis-ing, sponsored updates and promoted tweets that match the tar-geting, reach and efficiency of any digital media.

Earned media efforts can also increase reach and engage-ment. There are online influencers in environmental issues,energy, mining, sustainability and more. By engaging in conver-sation with influencers and inspiring them to share content, par-ticularly on Twitter, companies can attract new followers andincrease their organic reach.

Mining companies must learn to manage their social mediapresence and connect with all of their target audiences in orderto strengthen their brand and overall business.

Patrick Thoburn is a co-founder of Matchstick Inc., an independent social mediamarketing agency, whose clients include GE. A lawyer by training, he was namedone of Canada’s most influential marketers on Marketing Magazine’s Power 100List.

CIM

A bout 44 per cent of technical professionals spend morethan one hour per week on social media for work-relatedactivities, according to a recent IHS GlobalSpec study

entitled “2014 Social Media Use in the Industrial Sector.” Someresource industry players like General Electric (GE) have highlydeveloped social media programs, effectively reaching andengaging employees, investors and influencers. However, othersdo not take advantage of these online platforms. Using the socialmedia analytics tool “evalue,” we at Matchstick, a social mediamarketing agency, analyzed the activity of seven mining compa-nies: AngloAmerican, Barrick Gold, Cameco, First QuantumMinerals, Rio Tinto Alcan, Teck Resources and Vale. Our con-clusion: The potential for social media as a communications toolfor mining companies to reach their constituents is largelyuntapped.

Among the companies in our analysis, there is a wide rangeof social media activity and results. At the top end, Barrick Goldemploys many best practices for reaching and engaging withsocial media audiences. At the low end, First Quantum has noTwitter account and, notwithstanding a large following onLinkedIn, is not using the platform to its advantage. The rest fallin between. Some suffer from infrequent posting, low use ofimages or poor content.

Social media platforms have proliferated over the past sevenyears; each one offers companies different ways of engaging withtheir customers. However, mining companies seeking to reachemployees, influencers (social media users with a significant fol-lowing who tend to be an expert in a certain domain) andinvestors should focus their efforts on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Twitter, ideal for carrying on one-on-one conversations withinfluencers and investors, has 5.6 million Canadian monthlyusers, or 20.8 per cent market penetration.

Most of the mining companies we analyzed have some pres-ence on Twitter. Typically, their posts cover company announce-ments, such as quarterly reports, awards, jobs and corporatesocial responsibility (CSR) programs.

Cameco divides its Twitter presence among three separateaccounts: jobs, news and community announcements. TheCameco community account (@camecocommunity) is solelydevoted to promoting the company’s CSR and community ini-tiatives. In one case, @camecocommunity used the hashtag#C95camecocares for a fundraising event in conjunction with alocal radio station, sparking conversation with hundreds ofsocial media users.

Barrick, meanwhile, has combined its CSR and corporatenews posts into one Twitter account. Its posts make excellentuse of images that feature company employees or executives andstories from the communities in which it operates.

Social media: mining’s untapped vein

BY PATRICK THOBURN


S O C I A L M E D I A

best intentions, simply sharing information will not result inlong-lasting changes.

Instead, individuals need to go on a developmental journeyand learn to integrate deep self-reflection, peer support anddevelopmental challenges into their daily practice of leader-ship. The most effective programs help a person evolve theiridentity. But sustainable rewards from these programs onlycome after at least a year of commitment, challenges and a will-ingness to change.

In the shorter term, there are a number of strategies every-one can employ to avoid the “expert trap.” Try reflecting onyour leadership style at the end of each day. Ask yourself: “Howdid others experience me as a leader today?” Next, reflect onwhat you get paid to do. Do your behaviours reflect that? Youcould also initiate conversations with your team to determinewhat they could take off your plate. If they do not have the nec-essary skills, develop a plan to transition them into more appro-priate responsibilities. Remember that it is not all or nothing.

Consider using the metaphor of a ship when delegating deci-sions. Decide whether the decision is an “above waterline” or“below waterline” decision. Above-waterline decisions are thosethat will blow a hole in the side of the ship if things go wrong,but will not metaphorically “sink the ship.” For example, thedecision to change the maintenance schedule of some criticalpiece of equipment might result in a loss of production. Whilethis is a setback, it is not catastrophic. Anyone can and shouldmake above waterline decisions. Below waterline decisions,meanwhile, are those things that could cause the ship to godown if the wrong decision is made. Examples include losing amajor client, having a significant safety incident or sending thecompany out of business. Such decisions demand more over-sight and involvement from everyone. Hold onto these as aleader, but make sure your waterline is not too high. On a per-sonal level you must be willing to accept and embrace the learn-ing curve that comes with failed above-waterline decisions.

Our industry is one that prides itself on technical innovationand excellence. Yet there is much work to do before such prideexists in the field of leadership. It is imperative that we stopassuming that technical expertise can simply translate intoexpertise in leading. Until those in charge commit to real lead-ership development for technical experts and view such devel-opment as a critical strategic initiative, our industry willcontinue to be defined by those who do, rather than lead. CIM

There comes a time in many peoples’ careers when their jobis no longer to do the work themselves but instead todirect others. This transition from doer to leader is a chal-

lenging and critical evolution. This is particularly true for tech-nically oriented experts who are promoted to leadershippositions because of their professional knowledge.

Few make this transition seamlessly, and some never fullystep into it. They continue to hold onto the work, despite hav-ing a fundamentally different role. The consequences can beserious: those in charge are swamped with work, and thosewho report to them are left feeling as though they are nottrusted. The results are an overworked and overstressed man-agement, which hinders their professional development, andan epidemic of disengagement.

But what is at the core of this poor leadership behaviour,particularly in mining? People often act in ways that reflecttheir sense of identity. Those in technical professions sometimesdefine themselves by their occupations; their sense of self isclosely tied to being an engineer or a geologist, for example.They see themselves as experts, something that has servedthem well for much of their careers.

However, as they transition into leadership positions, thissense of identity can become a liability rather than a strength.When they try to let go and empower others, they worry thatthings may not be done perfectly. Their whole sense of selfcould be threatened if this were to happen. Unwilling to riskthis, they keep a tight control over tasks, regardless of the costto themselves or others.

If managers develop their identities to be able to see them-selves achieving goals through the actions of others, they makethe transition from doer to leader. Their new identity becomesclosely tied to the collective, rather than the individual achieve-ment. While this developmental stage has its own set of uniquechallenges, it does nevertheless permit a manager to lead andavoid micromanaging others.

It is imperative that we help leaders in this industry growbeyond seeing themselves as technical experts. Only then willthey be able to lead in a way that is empowering, physically andemotionally sustainable, and effective.

To do this, we have to stop investing in training programsthat fail to delve below the surface of an individual’s behaviourand that disregard the manner in which they make sense of theirworld. Training, or the development of a specific skill set, is fun-damentally different from permanent personal development,which helps leaders grow as individuals and professionals. It isunrealistic and unproductive to expect the outcomes of personaldevelopment while merely providing leadership training.

We also cannot assume that the problem stems from a lackof knowledge. While the distribution of relevant articles – fromthe latest blog or Harvard Business Review – is done with the

Stop doing, start leadingBY ROSIE STEEVES

Rosie Steeves is the founder and president of Executive Works, a companydedicated to helping leaders transform their organizations through effectiveleadership. She has more than 35 years of experience in the leadershipdevelopment field and a PhD focused on leadership. Previously she was the co-founder and principal of The Refinery Leadership Partners, Inc., a Vancouver-based leadership development company. She is the author of the book,Breaking the Leadership Mold: An Executive’s Guide to AchievingOrganizational Excellence. Rosie is currently spearheading the CIM leadershipdevelopment program, Leading in Mining.

L E A D E R S H I P


columns

REE separation capacities exist in both France and Estonia,with rare earth concentrate feed for these facilities comingfrom elsewhere. Europe also has metal processing and applica-tion capabilities with companies like the U.K.’s Less CommonMetals, France’s Solvay/Rhodia and Austria’s Treibacher.

So how and where can Canada contribute to fleshing out anew and complete globally competitive REE supply from aEuropean perspective?

At the moment, there are a couple of advancing rare earthprojects in Europe, including Tasman Metals’ Norra Kärr proj-ect that is currently in the prefeasibility stage. However, REEprojects take from 10 to 20 years to reach production and facea number of challenges such as project economics – especiallyif a feasibility study has yet to begin – as well as environmentalmatters, radioactivity management and permitting. Obtaininga social licence to operate is another fundamentally importantdimension of any project, and the EU has very high standardsin this area. Therefore, it could be a number of years beforeEurope can start supplying its own REEs.

Canada, which possesses more advanced projects, rich REEdeposits, extensive mining and mineral processing expertise,high environmental standards, and a positive reputation andtrack record of collaboration, can supply the downstreamchemical and metal producers. Canada can be the critical firststep in the international partnering strategy, with other coun-tries and companies contributing according to their compara-tive advantages along the full REE supply chain. This wouldenable an alternative and more secure REE production to man-ifest in a much more cost- and time-effective manner.

This of course does not mean that any one country or com-pany would be limited in their respective stages of REE pro-duction, but rather they would take the lead in such, andassume a different level of participation and cross-investmentin each stage.

The REE supply chain is inter-dependent. The outputs ofone stage are the inputs to the next, and this is how we createreliable and cost-efficient solutions. To be successful, bothtechnical and business output-input specifications and inter-faces will need to be co-ordinated and maybe even tweaked forthe overall effectiveness of the full chain. We, as partners, alliesand global industry players, speak of international trade andco-operation; we should put them to work. CIM

T he European rare earth element (REE) supply chain iscurrently incomplete and seeking solutions. There are noproducing REE mines in Europe today, and China con-

trols a majority of the REE market. However, there is hope. Aneconomic development model similar to the one China hasachieved in recent years is replicable and should be consideredin Europe, along with its trade partners and allies in Canada.

In China, every stage of the value chain has been builtupon its raw natural resources, acquired or self-developedprocess technologies and the availability of local expertisecoordinated through contracts, cross investment andnational strategy. Some countries (like Canada) possess solidresources and strong mining and mineral processing skills,while others could provide expertise and infrastructure indownstream chemical and metal processing. Others stillcould supply end-use applications further down the chain.However, these prospective partnering countries must beaware that the window of opportunity to plan, enable andexecute is narrowing.

The European Rare Earth Competency Network (ERECON) presented policy recommendations to the Euro-pean Commission at a workshop attended by more than 150international experts in Milan last October. These recommen-dations, as outlined in the report, are comprised in a multi-pronged approach to improve the security of Europe’s supplyof REEs: fundin g research on mining, separation, recyclingand substitution; maintaining and strengthening the Europeanskill and knowledge base through research funding, scienceand technology education, and international co-operation;funding research technologies for heavy REE pilot plants forEU projects and recycling projects; establishing a critical mate-rial fund to invest in upstream projects; and creating a Euro-pean Resource Alliance.

The ERECON report noted that complacency is not anoption. Although current prices are low, this does not reflectthe insecurity of long-term REE supply in volatile markets,which remain dependent on a small number of sources of sup-ply vulnerable to government intervention. This view echoedthe thoughts of Canadian, American, Australian, Japanese, andother international specialists attending the workshop.

Europe currently has no REE mines in operation, but it didproduce REEs in the past as a byproduct of other mining oper-ations. The geological and economic potential to mine REEs inEurope was not comprehensively assessed before the globalREE price spike in 2011. The EU-funded EURARE, an organ-ization charged with developing the European REE industry,expects to complete an in-depth assessment of exploitableresources with a report due by December 2016.

Global rare metal value chains in need of global links

BY IAN LONDON


Ian London is the chairman of the Canadian Rare Earth Elements Network andwas instrumental in its formation in mid-2013. He is also a marketdevelopment and energy advisor with Avalon Rare Metals Inc. Over his 40-yearcareer, he has served as president and CEO of Ontario Hydro International, CEOof Process Products Ltd., and on the boards of several technology andalternative energy companies.

R A R E E A R T H E L E M E N T S


When asked about the challenges of building adiamond mine in the Northwest Territories,Mountain Province Diamonds CEO PatrickEvans says drily, “It’s bloody cold.” But a season-

ably cold winter augurs sunny days ahead for both hiscompany and De Beers. The two companies entered into ajoint venture in 2002 and are on track to commission theirGahcho Kué diamond mine in 2016, thanks to the Tibbitto Contwoyto winter road opening on schedule this year.

More than half-way through a two-year construction phase,about 2,100 truckloads of equipment and materials weredelivered to the mine site during February and March via theannual ice road in the highest-volume trucking season themine will ever experience.

Shipments in recent months, says Evans, included “the dia-mond plant, the mining fleet, fuel, explosives and a great dealmore.” Having everything on site by the end of March, headds, should enable the completion of construction by the endof the year and the start of plant commissioning at the begin-ning of 2016.

At the intersection of money and good weather Accessibility is the biggest challenge when building a mine

in the Canadian North. Because the site is 280 kilometresnortheast of Yellowknife, the 22 million litres of diesel fuel thatGahcho Kué will require over the next 14 months had to betrucked in during the eight-week ice road season. Neither the

fleet of 240-ton Komatsu haul trucks and dozers nor the fourFinning generators can be flown into the mine’s 4,500-footairstrip, either. Gahcho Kué will account for more than a quar-ter of the estimated 10,500 truckloads travelling over the iceroad this year, delivering supplies to mines in the N.W.T. andwestern Nunavut.

Around 280 contractors – a number that will rise to 700during peak construction activity later this year – have car-ried on construction of the mine despite an unexpectedcomplication. Deutsche Bank, the head of a lending groupthat was to participate in a debt facility for the joint ven-ture, was unable to secure credit approval for the mine forreasons, Evans stresses, that were unrelated to the project.Scotiabank was able to stand in at the eleventh hour, andthe companies officially announced credit approval for aUS$370 million financing deal in early February.

“Project finance is very, very complicated in the best of cir-cumstances,” says Evans. “To have to change a horse in mid-stride is very difficult, but under the circumstances it was areasonably smooth transition.”

The line of credit is the final piece of the puzzle in fundingthe $858-million construction phase. The development of themine will continue to be financed by equity until the end ofMarch, at which point Mountain Province will begin drawingon the debt facility for capital and working capital to pushthrough to commercial production. De Beers is funding itsshare of the costs internally.

Ice, ice babyA frigid winter paves theway for Gahcho KuéBy Ian Ewing

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Cold temperatures are a boon fornorthern construction projects like

Gahcho Kué that rely on ice roads astransportation corridors.

upfrontP R O J E C T S & C O N S T R U C T I O N

Diamonds are specialThe site will eventually process three million tonnes of kim-

berlite per year over a 12-year mine life, producing an esti-mated 4.5 million carats annually. For De Beers, which owns51 per cent of the unincorporated joint venture, the projectcould represent a powerful brake on over two decades of adeclining market share. The project is the largest and richestnew diamond mine in the world, and the seventh largest over-all in terms of expected value produced.

While finding a new diamond mine is said to be a hun-dred times harder than finding a new gold mine, freeing thegems should prove somewhat simpler. Evans, who has expe-rience in the platinum, copper, nickel and gold sectors, saysprocessing the ore at Gahcho Kué will be easier than anyproject he has worked on before. A mill and crushers, sup-plied by IMS Engineering, will break down the ore and feedit into a Polysius high-pressure grinding roller. Then densemedia separation separates a diamond concentrate from theore, before X-rays and grease belts remove the diamondsfrom the concentrate. The diamonds will be split between thepartners: 49 per cent to Mountain Province and 51 per centto De Beers.

“There are no chemicals or high-pressure systems or com-plicated metallurgy involved,” says Evans. “It’s the easiest ofany commodity.” That, he adds, reduces the cost of the plant.

Once completed, the operating mine will employ about370 full-time workers. Impact and benefit agreements (IBAs)signed with six First Nations groups in the area provide mainlyfor procurement contracts. The mine’s diesel supplier, forexample, is a First Nations company. Training and employ-ment are also included in the IBAs, and the socio-economicagreement with the government of the N.W.T. specifiesemployment targets for northerners. There are benefits to hav-ing a local workforce, but Evans – a South African – says hetakes a global view. “Not every northerner has to work on amine, no more than you or I have to work on a mine. Theopportunities are there, and if there’s a northerner who doeswish to have a career as a miner, they will have the benefits oftraining and employment and advancement opportunities.”

Construction of the Gahcho Kué mine is scheduled forcompletion in December, and commissioning is to start nextJanuary. By the third-quarter of 2016, the companies aim tobegin production, ramping up to full commercial productionby January 2017. For one of the joint venture participants,though, that will just be the start of the work: De Beers will beoperating the mine once it is in production.

In the meantime, Mountain Province and De Beers arefocused on getting the mine built. That means getting theirequipment to site. So for now, the “bloody cold,” as Evans putit, is the company’s greatest ally. CIM



Project leaders for Seabridge Gold have been taking adeliberative, proactive approach to the company’s KSM(Kerr-Sulphurets-Mitchell) project in northwesternBritish Columbia. Construction has yet to begin at the

4,925-hectare site, but the company’s plans have evolved dra-matically since it discovered the Mitchell deposit in 2006.

Located 35 kilometres from the Alaskan border, KSM is oneof the world’s largest undeveloped gold/copper deposits, withProven and Probable Reserves of 38.2 million ounces of goldand 9.9 billion pounds of copper. Seabridge initially envi-sioned KSM as an open-pit project at three deposits but is nowplanning a mix of underground block cave and open-pit meth-ods at four distinct deposits: Kerr, Sulphurets, Mitchell, andIron Cap. The block caving method will eliminate 2.3 billiontonnes of waste rock stripping, which will significantly reducethe mine’s environmental impact and the size of the rock stor-age facility. When it is built, the project will consist of two sep-arate sites. The first will include the mines, as well as the watermanagement and treatment facilities. This will connect to theprocessing and tailings management area via two 23- kilometre-long tunnels.

The KSM property changed hands a number of timesbefore being acquired by Seabridge in 2000. Explorationbegan in 2006, and Seabridge initiated the environmentalassessment process with provincial and federal regulators in2008. The province approved the project last July, and the fed-eral government followed suit five months later.

Building relationshipsAs part of the environmental assessment process, Seabridge

spent more than six years negotiating with First Nations in thearea, incorporating many of their concerns into the site designin the early stages of the process. Portions of the project fallwithin the Nass Area, a 26,000-square-kilometre region over

which the Nisga’a Nation has constitutionally protected rightsto public consultation and its own requirements for environ-mental assessments.

The Nisga’a Nation worked closely with Seabridge todevelop appropriate environmental conditions, and the twoparties entered into a comprehensive benefits agreement lastJune. Seabridge has also signed an environmental agreementwith the nearby Gitanyow First Nation and remains in dia-logue with other First Nations who use the area.

Edward Allen, communications director for the Nisga’aLisims government, says the Nisga’a Nation’s overall experi-ence with Seabridge has been “very positive.” He adds thateven in the early stages of the project, it was clear thatSeabridge had read and understood the Nisga’a final agree-ment. Signed in 2000, the agreement is the first modern treatyin British Columbia. “Our work with Seabridge was a wel-come point of departure from some of our earlier pre-treatyexperiences.

“It was clear that Seabridge wanted to approach this projectin a spirit of partnership and cooperation,” Allen says. “It wasa relatively straightforward process to identify our concernsand for Seabridge to incorporate them into its plans for miningactivities in the Nass River area.”

As Peter Williams, Seabridge’s senior vice-president of tech-nical services, explained, KSM’s 52-year mine life and dailythroughput of 130,000 tons forced the company to adopt a“robust” approach to the environment. “You have to giveworld-class projects the respect they deserve,” he says.

Chris Hamilton, executive project director for the B.C.Environmental Assessment Office, was responsible for theprovincial assessment. He says he was impressed withSeabridge’s attitude throughout the process: “They wereresponsive and they were interested in doing the right thing,which is kind of a treat for regulators.”

StartingdownstreamSeabridge Gold’s KSM project receivesenvironmental approvalBy Chris Balcom

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The KSM project holds one of theworld’s largest undeveloped

copper/gold deposits.


Design changes The Nisga’a Nation was particularly concerned about the

potential impact the project would have on water quality in theregion. In response, Seabridge made significant design changesto the tailings and water management facilities. Both the accessand discharge points of the tailings ponds were moved fromTeigen Creek to the Treaty Creek Valley to protect the localsalmon habitat and other vulnerable wildlife in the area. Thismove involved some redesigns of the facility, as the Teigen andTreaty creeks are on opposite ends of the valley. The tailingsdams are nestled within this valley, and the buttressing of thevalley walls offers the dams good natural protection. The com-pany voluntarily added a third cell in the centre of the tailingsfacility with a geomembrane liner to collect and store thepotentially acid-generating waste. It will be one of just a fewlined tailings ponds in the province, adding a cost of $131 mil-lion. The total cost of the third cell will be $256 million.

Seabridge also more than doubled the size of the watertreatment facility and is teaming up with local water treatmentfirm BioteQ Environmental Technologies to develop an inno-vative selenium water treatment technique using ionexchange. The company is also avoiding any use of surfacewater drainage ditches for primary water control and manage-ment in favour of a safer, yet much more expensive, 50- kilometre-long network of twinned diversion tunnels. Ditcheswill still be used for some secondary water diversion. Thedesign initially included surface ditches, but the diversionswere moved underground in the early stages of the environ-mental assessment to enhance the robustness of the watermanagement system.

Environmental impactWilliams says that from day one, design plans revolved

around protecting the downstream environment, with a focuson determining how the mine could oper-ate without disrupting the natural balanceof the ecosystem. For instance, the watertreatment facility will release water backinto the stream at Sulphurets Creek’s nat-ural flow rate to ensure the ecosystem isunaffected by a change in flow rate. Waterwith elevated levels of selenium will betreated in the selenium treatment plant,then treated again with the rest of the con-tact water and seepage at the main watertreatment facility prior to release. “We’restopping water because it’s been impactedby the mine,” Williams explains. “We haveto be able to treat it and get it back intothe creek the way the creek wants it.”

Vice-president of environmental affairsBrent Murphy elaborates on Seabridge’sphilosophy: “We stood downstream andlooked back up towards the mine site,and asked ourselves: ‘How can we oper-ate this safely, without impacting the


downstream environment?’ rather than ‘What do I have tobuild here in order to operate?’”

EconomicsSeabridge’s efforts obviously come at a cost. The company

claims its design changes will add nearly $500 million in capitaland operating expenses over the life of the mine. Yet Williamssays he believes this is simply the cost of getting the projectdone properly. He points out that many projects of a similarscale often fail to deliver on extravagant promises, which is dis-appointing for investors. In contrast, he says Seabridge is“putting in a production schedule and a capital schedule that’srealistic.” The group gave the project, with start-up capital costsestimated at US$5.31 billion, a five-year construction estimate.Seabridge has spent $205 million on KSM since 2006.

“We’re not going to reduce the construction timeframe sowe can save net present value,” Williams explains. “We want totake proper controlled steps in the field so the environmentalways comes first.”

Seabridge is still looking for a partner to bring the site toproduction, and Williams acknowledges that its approach hasmade his search more difficult. Yet major mining companiesthat have been “stung by pretty major disappointments” andstuck with unexpectedly high costs are actually quite pleasedwith Seabridge’s work on KSM.

As it waits for the remaining permits and searches for apartner, Seabridge has assembled an independent geotechnicalreview board to look at the design, construction, operationsand closure of the water storage dam and the tailings manage-ment facility. After years of experience elsewhere in the field,Williams and Murphy are strong believers in Seabridge’sapproach, saying many of the company’s voluntary effortsought to become standard industry practice. “I think it’s a newway of looking at these major sites,” Williams says. CIM

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When Vale planned the construction of its nickel pro-cessing facility in Long Harbour, Newfoundlandand Labrador, off-site modular construction wasidentified early on as an opportunity for time and

cost savings. Vale contracted Netherlands-based Mammoet in2009 to consult on, and later provide, the transportation of600 large components to the Long Harbour site. The trans-portation was done from the middle of 2010 to late 2012, andincluded 160 modules, weighing up to 1,200 tons, from fab-rication yards across North America.

The hydrometallurgical processing plant began commercialproduction last July.

The US$4.25-billion project was primarily stick-built inLong Harbour, employing more than 6,000 workers. The useof modules for some of the facility allowed Vale to decongestthe construction site, as pieces of infrastructure could be builtin parallel, rather than sequentially. This approach was partic-ularly important for maintaining the project schedule giventhe prevailing labour market: in Newfoundland and Labrador– and more broadly in Atlantic Canada – skilled labour was inshort supply, with several large-scale industrial projects com-peting for qualified workers.

“Distributing some of the work to areas outside AtlanticCanada relieved some of the pressure on our timelines andbudget,” says Michael Fleming, Long Harbour’s quality and riskmanager. “We knew our requirements put us at or near the lim-its of local labour supply and vendor capacity, so bringing addi-tional resources to bear from outside the region made sense.”

Vale and Mammoet had preliminary meetings in 2007,where Vale expressed interest in modular construction. GlenAitken, Mammoet’s vice-president of sales for Eastern Canada,says the mining company was keen to explore what could bedone. “Vale had a lot of logistical challenges and asked ouropinion on many different criteria,” he says. “At the time theyseemed skeptical that some of the things could be done, butwe were quite confident that it could be built that way.”

Mammoet was involved from the earliest planning stages,first consulting with engineers to allow for a more integratedapproach to designing, and then transporting the parts of thefacility. The company also reviewed Vale’s chosen fabricationyards’ proximity to wharfs. “When we had sourced the facili-ties,” explains Dan Donnelly, the former construction managerat Long Harbour, “we got the facilities’ characteristics andcapabilities from the owners, and then worked with Mammoetto ensure those facilities could meet project requirements forthe barge portion of the job.”

Vale planned in advance the order in which the moduleswould need to be constructed and delivered to Long Harbour– a process that Donnelly says took about a year. Mammoetbegan transporting the modules in two phases in mid-2010.

The first phase was the daily transportation of fully constructed modules assembled in Argentia, Newfoundlandand Labrador, with the larger modules coming by barge andsmaller modules by truck. Phase 1 continued as Phase 2, thesea transport of modules from the three major fabricationyards in Brewer (Maine), Corpus Christi (Texas), and NewIberia (Louisiana) started in early 2011. The transportation jobconcluded in late 2012. During Phase 2, in addition to thethree major fabrication yards, smaller modules and tanks werealso barged from a number of other ports and yards in theGreat Lakes and Mississippi River system.

“The whole process was truly cross-continental,” says Flem-ing. “Besides fabrication yards, we engaged suppliers acrossthe Great Lakes area, in Canada and the U.S., which shippedup the St. Lawrence Seaway. Local suppliers played a part too.Mammoet partnered with Hunt’s Transport Ltd., a Newfound-land and Labrador-based company, to carry out a significantamount of the trucking.”

Serious logistical challengesAccording to Fleming and Donnelly, around 34,000 pipe

welds, 75,000 linear metres of pipe, 15,000 tonnes of steel,

Big boldbuildVale and Mammoet’smodular approach tothe Long Harbourproject By Kelsey Rolfe

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Modules were transported to Vale’sLong Harbour site using self-

propelled modular transporters.


150 kilometres of cable, and 7,000 square metres of buildingcladding went into the 160 largest modules. Equipment andsmaller pipe rack modules were constructed in Argentia, elec-trical room modules in Maine, building modules in Louisiana,and larger pipe rack modules in Texas.

The modules were shipped by tugboat-pulled barges from thefabrication yards to Long Harbour. At the project’s peak, Aitkensays Mammoet had 10 barges cycling between the four majorfabrication yards, vendor facilities in the St. Lawrence Seaway,and Long Harbour. He says hundreds of Mammoet employeeswere involved in the project, including marine engineers in theNetherlands who developed stowage plans for modules on thebarges, designed sea-fastening steel fixtures to prevent the mod-ules from shifting in rough seas, and developed towing plans forevery barge shipment depending on the geography, time of yearand type of modules on board, among other factors.

The weather presented a challenge for Mammoet. Valewanted year-round delivery, but both summer and winter weredifficult transportation seasons. “In the summertime, espe-cially in the Gulf of Mexico, there are a lot of hurricanes or tor-nadoes,” says Barend Schuring, who at the time wasMammoet’s vice-president of operations for Canada East. “Inthe winter time, when the Gulf area is more favourable, thenthere are cold weather and difficult conditions around New-foundland. There were a lot of times we had to find shelterwith a loaded barge to hide from the bad weather, and thenstart again, to basically make sure the modules, the cargo,every single piece stayed intact.”

Offloading the modules at Vale’s port facility in Long Har-bour and transporting them up to the plant construction sitealso came with its share of logistical issues. The port, whichVale was redeveloping, had originally been constructed in the1960s and was not designed for handling modules. To avoiddamaging the port’s facilities, Mammoet designed and installedfendering to act as a cushion between the quay edge and thearriving barges. The use of 50-foot ramps helped to bridgeover the dock, so no heavy loads were placed on the dock’sedge, where it is weakest. “The dock wasn’t ideal for this typeof operation, but we made it work,” Aitken says.

On the road up to the site, the modules had to cross over ariver. Their heavy weight exceeded the load capacity of the bridgeVale had in place, which was designed to support the long-termoperations requirements of the processing plant, so Mammoethad a modular steel bridge built over the existing structure.

There was about a 100-metre elevation difference betweenthe port and the plant site, so Mammoet provided criteria forVale to design the road with a gentle grade. “Because of theweight and the method of transport of these modules from theport up to the plant site, we had to be careful as to how steepwe built the access road,” Donnelly says. “In the end, we keptthat road under six per cent grade to allow these modules tobe able to travel up it.”

Modular transportersThe modules were moved from the port to the plant site

using self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs).Once they

arrived at the plant site, Mammoet staff helped with the instal-lation. “We had to use a lot of different methods to transfer themodules from the SPMTs to the foundations where they weregoing to be installed permanently,” Aitken says.

A few of the smaller modules were able to be lifted off theSPMTs by crane, but most had to be removed with alternativemethods. One technique, called jacking and skidding,involved sliding a module sideways off the SPMT onto steeltracks and jacking it down to the ground using hydraulics. Asimpler technique was to drive the module right over its ele-vated foundation and then set it down with the SPMT’shydraulics.

Vale’s decision to engage Mammoet at the early stages ofconstruction planning is what transportation experts saythey believe should be happening in more modular con-struction projects. “Vale included Mammoet early on withconsulting, so we were involved with a portion of the designbefore they actually went ahead with it,” says Schuring. “Itwas very nice they took that effort, because everything linedup a little bit better.”

Getting transportation providers involved in large modularjobs is becoming more common worldwide, Schuring says,but “for our Canada brands, I would say this project wasunique because we never were involved that far in advancebefore.” CIM


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Garry Merkel has only been president and CEO of theTahltan Nation Development Corporation (TNDC) fora year and a half, but he is already taking the companyto new heights. Merkel has worked with the firm for

more than 15 years and also has his own consultancy, ForestInnovations, which he founded in 1985. As the business armof the Tahltan Nation, a First Nation in northwest BritishColumbia, TNDC plays a crucial role in developing theprovince’s resource extraction industries. Merkel has a keenunderstanding of the relationship between resource extractioncompanies and First Nations, and says he believes both groupsstand to learn a great deal from each other.

CIM: Can you give us a bit of background on TNDC?Merkel: We’re 30 years old this year. We started as a residentialconstruction company and since then we’ve expanded to havefour main divisions and 30 separate companies. The core ofwhat we do right now is heavy construction and remoteservices. We develop and dismantle major projects includingcamps of all sizes. The rest of our companies provide a widerange of services including tunnelling, communications andtransportation. We created an environmental company anumber of years ago. We’re just starting an airline. We try tocover the range of goods and services that a developmentwould require.

CIM: What have you been involved with in terms of miningconstruction?Merkel: I don’t think there’s any phase of mining that wehaven’t been involved in. We’ve done everything frompreliminary exploration to final reclamation. We’ve built,operated and dismantled major exploration camps for up to500 people, developed almost all aspects of a mine, providedoperational support in many areas and reclaimed many

operations. We’ve done blasting, tunnel building, and lots ofpreliminary design and environmental work for mines. For theRed Chris project, we provide transportation, shipment ofgoods and services, ore hauling, site and road maintenance,communications, remote services, tires, fuel … it’s extensive.We’re working out the details, but I’m hoping we’ll havefinalized the details around TNDC maintaining the tailingsimpoundments for the life of the mine within a month or so.

Red Chris would be our biggest project right now. We’realso working with Pretium Resources on its Brucejack project;Seabridge Gold on its KSM project; Atrum Coal on its Ground-hog project; and Teck Resources on both its Galore and Schaftprojects. We’re also working on many exploration-level proj-ects, but those are all at different stages.

CIM: Are there more services you’d like to offer? What’s yourideal scenario?Merkel: I would like to move TNDC into a position wherewe’re doing contract mining, but I haven’t found a client thatis interested in that approach yet. There are a few of them outthere, but the companies we’re working with right now don’tdo contract mining. We are talking to one company about thatpossibility and if we get it, it’s going to be huge.

CIM: How significant is mining in terms of your overalloperations?Merkel: For the past 15 years or so, mining’s probably been 75per cent of our operations. I don’t want the amount of miningwork TNDC does to go down but I want it to go downproportionally to the rest of our work. We’re working to buildother industries, particularly long-term infrastructure-typeprojects. From our perspective, if we can get a lot more ofthose in place it provides us with long-term and more stableopportunities.

“Magic to bemade”Tahltan leader proud to bebuilding a new miningindustryBy Chris Balcom

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CIM: What have been your major challenges as a company?Merkel: I think our biggest hurdle has been that we’re a FirstNations company. One of our board members said it best: “Asan aboriginal company you pretty much have to proveyourself two or three times more than other companies.”There’s a huge stigma associated with Aboriginal Peoples andcompanies. But my experience is that once people get pastthat and they understand they’re working with a companythat provides a quality and cost-competitive product, it has alot of advantages to them as a developer, both in terms ofsocial licence and overall effectiveness.

The Tahltan have been in business as a culture for thethousands of years we’ve been in the Stikine Valley. We con-trolled the trading corridor into northwest B.C. and Yukon,and we fought very hard to control that corridor. That’s theessence of who we are; that kind of entrepreneurial and busi-nesslike thinking lives in our community. We’re a very work-oriented kind of people but we didn’t have a lot of experienceat managing a modern business. We’ve gone through majortransformations that have changed the way we work, andthus changed people’s view of us.

CIM: Do you work mainly within Tahltan territory or aroundBritish Columbia?Merkel: I wouldn’t be surprised to see us doing at least onemajor project outside of our territory this year, but we havethree in the hopper. It really depends on where those projectsgo. At this point we would stay within northern B.C. We haveto test run all the systems we’ve been building and make surewe can successfully manage an expanded scope. If you don’thave the infrastructure and the capacity to managesomething, you shouldn’t be doing it; you should just say“No” and take the time to build it.

The dream someday is we’ll be able to work with othercommunities to help them build up too, so that they can dothis in their own areas on major projects where they live andwork. That’s a little ways away yet; you have to walk beforeyou can run.

CIM: Tell us a bit about your partnerships.Merkel: We rely enormously on our partners’ expertise, andthey rely enormously on ours. It’s sort of a synergisticrelationship and there’s a bit of an art in building that. Iwould say there is no way in hell that any First Nation orcommunity could build a diverse economy and all of itscomponents on its own. You have to rely on experts andpartners including other businesses, governments andcommunities.

Building this kind of partnership and having all yourpartners completely committed to your cause is no easytask. We really work hard to find companies that are like usin a sense, that share our values and approach to businessand have a strong social conscience. They’re very keen,they’re totally committed to the kind of dream that webelieve in.

CIM: Where do you see your place in British Columbia’s miningindustry in the years to come?Merkel: When we first started, there was a company that had amine going up in our territory, and they were going to build aroad into it that proposed three major river crossings and 26major salmon-bearing stream crossings. So we said to thecompany, “No, this is wrong. That’s not acceptable.”

Our people got into a serious fight with them about it. Wehad roadblocks and everything, until the company finallyasked, “Well, what do you want?” and we said: “We want thisroad to be a lot more friendly to our land, our people and ourfish. Here’s the design, and we want to build it.” The companythought we were just full of it but in the end they caved in. Wetook it down to one major river crossing and three majorsalmon-bearing stream crossings. It turned out we had a fairlyreasonable relationship with that company afterwards.

The standard now is certainly much better than it used tobe, but there’s still a lot of room to improve further. If you getinto a partnership with our kind of entity, I think there’s magicto be made, frankly. We can start building some models thatcan become the industry standard. I think that’s where theindustry is going to go. I don’t think there’s any way aroundit. And once you start building these relationships, I thinkpeople’s ideas of resource development and extraction aregoing to change. CIM


LIVE WIRE ACTAll photos courtesy of NASA

Miners must grapple with pricevariability and a huge array of options

to keep operations powered upBy Chris Windeyer


The cost of electricity is generallythe second biggest cost factor thatminers face. Only the workforcecosts more. In Canada alone,miners (excluding coal) spent $2.4 billion on energy costs in2012, according to figures fromNatural Resources Canada.

That was up from a 2011 tally of $2.2 billion that includedcoal. At the same time, no other significant cost factor variesso widely – internationally, more than 800 per cent variationin the price of electricity from one jurisdiction to another isaccepted as normal. So what can miners do to turn such risksinto opportunities?

“If you’re sitting in northern Quebec and you have accessto the hydro grid, there’s nothing that will beat Hydro Que-bec’s rates,” says Steve Letwin, CEO of Toronto-based Iamgold,which owns mines in Quebec, Suriname, Mali, and BurkinaFaso. Letwin says Quebec’s electricity costs 3.5 cents per kilo-watt-hour (kWh), compared with off-grid Africa, whereIamgold relies on diesel and heavy fuel oil, and costs can reach30 cents per kWh.

The recent decline in oil prices has knocked those off-gridcosts down to around 21 cents per kWh, which Letwin saystranslates into cash cost savings of around $200 per ounce.At Iamgold’s Essakane mine in northeast Burkina Faso, cur-rently operating with costs of around $1,000 per ounce,Letwin says halving the mine’s power costs would bring cashcosts down to about $800 per ounce; it is roughly the sameimpact as doubling the grade. “Given that we produce400,000 ounces, that’s $80 million of cash flow,” he pointsout. “That’s a back-of-the-envelope [calculation] but it showsyou the trade-off. Power has a huge impact on the economics.”

Whether or when Letwin and other miners in Africa willsee their access to reliable power grids change is anybody’sguess. “Transmission infrastructure expansion in developingcountries is driven primarily by a desire for economic growthand an enabling of investments in key strategic areas andindustries; however, timing and triggers for doing so will vary,”says Georges Arbache, vice-president at KPMG’s Global Infra-structure practice in Toronto. “For example, a number of largeChinese companies have made significant investments inAfrica, and it may be that in order to support their businesses,joint venturing with otherwise cash-constrained local nationalgrid companies is essential in order to stabilize the power andtransmission infrastructure they require to operate effectively.”

When considering projects, the key is to find the right bal-ance of power costs, with factors such as political risks, thegeology and the cost of labour, when conducting preliminaryassessments, explains John Mullally, director of corporateaffairs for Vancouver-based Goldcorp. He gives the exampleof Ontario, where political risks are low and mostly come inthe form of “regulatory creep,” permitting delays and relatively

high labour and energy costs by North American standards,which are expected to rise. “We’re willing to bear the cost ofa higher cost jurisdiction,” he says.

Goldcorp has four operating mines in Canada, of whichthree are in Ontario and require a total of 70 megawatts (MW)of power to run. Figures for the new Éléonore mine in Que-bec, which poured its first bar last October, are notavailable. Globally, all of its mines areconnected to the grid, except forits open pit Peñasquito proj-ect in Mexico, whichruns on diesel.

Mexico isone of the placeswhere power infra-structure, and the rulessurrounding it, is changingrapidly, Arbache points out: “Mexicorecently announced significant reforms to itsentire energy sector because there’s a huge generation supplydeficit, among other factors. For mining companies […] it’sgoing to be simpler to gain access to alternatives and renew-ables offering better quality power. Power prices in Mexicoare expected to rise significantly over the next 20 yearsbecause of the need for investment in the grid and on the


generation supply side, so renewables offer a hedge againstrising power prices, essentially.”

With Mexico’s reforms expected to take effect later this yearor early next year, more attractive combinations of grid-basedand renewable power may become available soon for would-be miners.

Matters in the hands of minersGoldcorp still uses diesel as a backup fuel at

all of its mines, but Mullally says it is tryingto wean itself off it. While Ontario’s

industrial electricity prices can topnine cents per kWh, it is still

cheaper than diesel. Increas-ingly, he says, Goldcorp is

using natural gas to heatbuildings. “The price has

certainly helped and thesupply has as well.There’s been a hugeinflux [of gas] intothe province.”

That is also why“there’s been a lotof investment inconservation anddemand manage-ment,” Mullallysays. “It’s alwayseasier to conserveand reduce ourenergy footprint.”That has meant

adopting tech-niques like batch

milling instead ofrunning the mill con-

stantly, running crush-ers intermittently, and

using sensors to governmine ventilation. “That’s a

huge component of energycosts, essentially pushing air down

into the mine to keep the particulateand emissions down.”

Being connected to the grid, however, isno guarantee of a steady power supply, notes

George Davies, a senior advisor to Hatch and a for-mer Ontario deputy minister of energy. He says ongoing

grid improvements in northern Saskatchewan are a responseto reliability problems plaguing the region’s uranium mines,which have been experiencing several outages every year.Those outages trigger the need for backup power and driveup costs.

In many developing countries, connection to the grid issimply too risky. Davies says Barrick once declined Tanzania’s

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Industrial electricity prices varied 290 per cent from 2006 to 2011among seven OECD countries

with significant mining industries.


o f f e rto split the

cost of connectingthe company’s mines to

the national utility’s grid over concerns about the grid’s reli-ability. “It had to make a choice between making anarrangement with the government to have the gridexpanded to its location or investing in its own supply,”Davies says. “This is typical of many third-world countries.There is such a lack of faith in the quality of managementof the government-owned utility that for purposes of cer-tainty the mining company has to make the decision toinvest in its own electricity generation. That comes at avery significant cost premium.”

The utility of the futureOff-grid miners are progressively looking to

renewables to combat power costs, but renew-ables work for on-grid mines too. KPMG’sArbache says a system that efficiently incorpo-rates the variety of potential energy sources iswhat his firm refers to as “the utility of thefuture.”

A 2014 study by the International Renew-able Energy Agency found that the levelizedcost of photovoltaic solar power dropped byhalf between 2010 and 2014, although it stillranges wildly between $0.07 and $0.40 perkWh. The cost of onshore wind energy is now

competitive with fossil fuel generation and issometimes cheaper. But the report also notes

that “the installed costs and capacity factors forrenewable energy are highly technology- and site-

specific.” Wind resources, for example, are notori-ously finicky, depending on location, and costs can

range anywhere from under $0.03/kWh to more than$0.30/kWh.Iamgold’s Letwin says energy cost was the driving force

behind his company’s construction of a five MW solar arrayat its Rosebel mine in Suriname even though, according to theInter-American Development Bank, Suriname’s grid prices arerelatively low, at around $0.05/kWh. But power costs forindustrial users like Iamgold are governed by a series of powerpurchase agreements that, in the case of Rosebel, average outcloser to $0.14/kWh. The Iamgold solar plant, which openedlast August, is currently producing 1.1 MW of power, withany extra electricity being put back into Suriname’s domesticgrid. With a capital cost of $11 million, the solar panels areexpected to save Iamgold around $1 million per year.

John Mathews, a professor at the MacQuarrie GraduateSchool of Management in Sydney, Australia, and author of TheGreening of Capitalism, argues that the rapidly declining cost ofrenewable energy means miners that do not move to renewablesrisk being left behind.

1980 1990 2000 2010

US$49.79/MWh

US$66.43/MWh

US$58.61/MWh

US$110.87/MWh

Over 40 years, the average industrial electricity price in OECD countries has varied widely.

Source: OECD


As Mathews has written in Energy Post, an independentenergy-focused website and newsletter, Chile has more than18,000 MW of renewable energy projects – either proposedor under construction. That would more than double thecountry’s total current electricity production. A 110-MW solarplant, which is equipped with molten salt storage to provideconstant power, and a 115-MW wind turbine array are nowunder construction to power copper projects in the Antofa-gasta region in northern Chile.

These developments are driven by Chile’s historically highpower costs relative to its neighbours, around US$0.25 perkWh, according to a 2014 report by KPMG. Mining is Chile’slargest energy consumer, sucking up 85 per cent of the elec-tricity produced in the country’s north, which is mostly gen-erated by natural gas.

Mathews contends Chile has benefited from China’s mas-sive push to develop renewable energy. While that largelybegan as a way for China to combat its abysmal domestic airpollution situation, he says it has also driven down unit costseverywhere, and Chile has simply taken advantage, with somecosts declining to as low as US$0.08 per kWh.

“The example of Chile is there for all to see,” Mathews says.“What I see holding back adoption of renewable sources ofenergy in the mining industry is technical conservatism andfailure of imagination to realize an alternative to conventionalfossil fuels.”

Guzzling cheap petroleumremains attractive

But Letwin says it is not “technical conservatism” holdingback more deployment of renewables, but the brute calculusof oil prices. “It’s when oil starts to move north of US$100 thatyou start looking at alternate energy sources like the sun andstart realizing that a large capital investment may make senseif your mine life is long enough to support the investment,”he says. “For solar to pay off, you need about a 20-year minelife. That was at US$100 a barrel. So at US$50, you need anextended mine life in order to get your money back. Themath gets a lot more challenging.”

Brendan Marshall, director of economic affairs at the Min-ing Association of Canada, says one of the challenges for min-ers working in Canada is the location of a deposit relative tothe available renewable resources. “You can’t move a mine,”Marshall says. “The deposit’s where it is and that’s that. Thecost of the technology coming down is very helpful, but there’sa difference between pricing competition between technolo-gies and the deployability for mining purposes.”

And even if your mine is located in a sunny or a windylocale, there will always be night-time, cloudy days and dayswhen the wind is not blowing. That means diesel, heavy fueloil or natural gas is still a necessary backup. Right now, masson-site storage of renewable power is exceedingly expensiveand difficult. In April 2014, the New York Times reported thatstoring one kilowatt-hour in a conventional battery could costhundreds of dollars. But Letwin says whoever solves the stor-age problem will have a game-changing technology on parwith the internal combustion engine on their hands: “It will,mark my words, change the world.” CIM

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All OECD countries have experienced industrial electricity price increases since 2000. Here is how prices stack up in seven mining nations.

The deposit’s where it is and that’s that. – Brendan Marshall


Achieving the basic frothingconcept of separating hyd -ro phobic material from

hydrophilic material – where theformer repels water and the latterattaches itself to water – is no easyfeat. “You want the good minerals,the hydrophobic material, to go upto the top in larger bubbles and thebad minerals to fall to the bottom,”says Tom Fulton, operations man-ager for Imerys Talc’s Penhorwoodmine in Timmins, which installedfroth cameras last November. “Wecan always make the bubbles riseharder and faster by adding morechemicals or more air but the costof that is the purity goes down a lit-tle bit. The larger the bubbles youhave, the faster they rise, but thatdoesn’t allow the impurities asmuch time to go down.”

Finding the perfect balance hashistorically been the role of flotation operators, who monitor the froth visually. They usedtheir in-depth expertise, attained by working for years inside a plant, to understand thefroth’s characteristics and changes. “An operator could look at the froth and tell you exactlywhat it was doing, but those skills have largely been lost,” says Michael Schaffer, president ofPortage Technologies, a Toronto-based company that focuses on intelligent technology formineral processing.

As with any connoisseur, an operator needs a combination of hands-on experience andtalent to be able to assess froth visually. But relying on individuals creates room for humanerror, regardless of their level of expertise. “Back in those days, it would change from day today,” says Schaffer. “The operator could see the same froth differently from one shift to thenext, resulting in inconsistent control. A metallurgist would look at the froth in the cell andsay the cell had to be pulled a bit harder or slowed down. However, exactly what that meantwas all subjective, as each operator would have their own interpretation.”

Additionally, an operator simply does not have enough time in one shift to continuouslymonitor each cell. “A floatbank is typically quite large, particularly when you get to columnsand you have to climb up the stairs,” says Schaffer. “How often does that operator walk andsee an entire circuit over the shift?”

Science in the art of flotationBy Alexandra Lopez-Pacheco

While the science behind froth flotation – one of the most critical processes formineral recovery – is essential, the optimization of a flotation circuit has traditionallyhad the elements of an art form. Artists, however, are in short supply. This has plantoperators increasingly calling on the maturing technology of froth cameras toimprove efficiency and output.

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Froth cameras,installed directly overa flotation cell, helpedBarrick manageissues withoverflowing laundersat its Porgera mine inPapua New Guinea(above).


Today, there is another option for mining companies: frothcameras strategically placed above each cell that monitors thefroth. “The camera captures the images and sends them to acomputer for analysis,” says Hugo Araujo, �a solutions spe-cialist with SGS Advanced Systems, which offers intelligentsystems that include froth cameras.

The software that conducts the image analysis is wherethe real science in the technology lies. A single camera can-not record the entire froth surface due to its surface area,explained Araujo, so the software selects one or more areasof interest to represent the conditions of the entire cell. Thealgorithm is capable of counting, identifying the bubbles bysize and tracking the speed of their movement. Based onthis, the overall speed and quality of the froth can be calcu-lated – and the air and reagents are adjusted automaticallyor manually.

“The mantra in the industry is that you can only managewhat you measure and you can only optimize what you cancontrol,” says Schaffer. “With froth cameras, now whensomeone says, ‘Let’s pull it a bit harder,’ he can be specificand say, ‘Can you increase the cell velocity by 10 per cent,’and you can actually dial that in because you are directlymeasuring your mass pull and quality of the froth.”

The cameras, which look like security cameras, also allowfor real-time monitoring of all the cells across the circuit. Ifthe cameras are connected to a plant’s flotation control sys-tem, the software analyzing the images can automaticallymake adjustments. As well, an operator can view and moni-tor all the cells from a display in the control room at all times.“The computer is much more rigorous than a human,” saysFulton. “It’s quite happy to look at the bubbles every second,

year after year, and not get tired.It’s more statistically rigorous. It’sactually calculating a number.Operators are not using math.They’re using their opinion.”

Rapidly improvingtechnology

While froth cameras have beenaround for close to two decades,the technology has leaped forwardin recent years.

One of the problems with theolder software, for example, isrelated to using only one area ofinterest, typically near the lip ofthe cell. The velocity of the frothvaries within the cell, slower in thecentre, and faster near the lip. Dif-ferent factors, including buildup

in some areas can also result in speed variations. While it isstill possible to mathematically calculate the overall frothspeed, this was not always properly done with older systems.

This was one of the issues that led Copper Mountain Minenear Princeton, B.C., to hire Portage to upgrade its controlssystem, including its existing froth camera system. “Basically,you end up with froth that’s turning around on the surfaceand has an apparent velocity in the area of interest, but it’snot actually being pulled because the froth level is lower thanat the lip,” says Mike Westendorf, the mine’s �mill superin-tendent. “Portage added algorithms to correct that.”

In fact, says Schaffer, a single Portage camera can simul-taneously look at three areas of interest and use the data tocalculate the lowest, average and fastest velocities withinone cell.

Portage’s controls and froth cameras system also helpedBarrick Gold Corporation’s Porgera mine in Papua NewGuinea overcome its difficulties with overflowing launders –a problem older cameras would not have been able to detect.“When you’re looking at the top of the cell, the top layer ofthe froth looks as if it’s not moving, but what’s actually hap-pening is the launder is overflowing and the slurry is pouringout onto the floor,” says Schaffer. Old cameras would haveseen the top layer and indicated a need to speed up the froth,when in reality the correction needed was the opposite. Porg-era installed a shiny plate on the launder, making it one ofthe camera’s areas of interest. Now, when the plate starts toget dirty, the system recognizes the launder is overflowingand automatically slows down the cell.

Maintenance also used to be a source of grief. To capturethe best image, the camera lenses had to be clean and the

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GS Froth cameras can record one or moreareas of interest of the froth surface andmonitor as well as calculate the speedand quality of the froth.

technologyF L O TAT I O N


area well lit, which meant reg-ular cleaning and light replace-ments. Plants are nowequipped with long-lastingLED lights, more robust cam-eras and diagnostics thatinform operators when thecamera lens needs cleaning. Inaddition, modern cameras usefive megapixel lenses. “We canput them farther away from thecell, which means they staycleaner,” says Schaffer.

One of the most dramaticchanges in the technology hasbeen cost. Twenty years ago, afroth camera system was ahefty investment as one cam-era alone could cost between$25,000 and $35,000. Nowinstallation plus any additionalengineering can run up toabout $8,000 per camera.Even with a control system forautomatic frothing adjust-ments, the typical total costcan range between a few hun-dred thousand dollars andsome $500,000. Most new mines now include froth camerasas standard equipment and the number of established minesinstalling them keeps growing, says Schaffer.

ChallengesA top challenge that remains is choosing the right cam-

era system, according to the representatives for miningcompanies with new froth camera systems we interviewed.“There are a number of different types of cameras on themarket with quite a difference in pricing, so determiningthe particular style of camera to install and deciding on thecompany to deliver results is one of the most difficult chal-lenges,” says Noel Moffatt, instrument and process controlsuperintendent for Barrick’s Papua New Guinea operations.As well, for mines such as his that had no previous experi-ence with froth cameras, it is imperative to find a supplierthat can provide in-depth education on the technology.From considering the material of the brackets that hold thecameras to minimize corrosion to how they are positionedto avoid vibration or direct sunlight, careful installation iscritical to both the longevity of the cameras and the qualityof the images they capture.

Customer service, says Fulton, is very important. “Wehave remote connection,” he explains. “So Portage can logonto our computer and fix most everything that might bewrong from Toronto. Also make sure you call their referencesand make sure their systems are as simple and trouble free asthey say they are.”

Benefits and ROIOn average, a good froth camera

system can result in about a one percent increase in production, saysAraujo. Penhorwood mine began itsfroth camera installation last year inmid-November. Within a couple ofmonths, the mine was already see-ing notable improvement. “It’s working better than wewere expecting it to work,” says Fulton. “Basically, yourproduction rate goes up. In our case, if we throw 100tonnes of rock into a plant, we used to be happy with a 30per cent yield. Now, we get 35 tonnes of product for theexact same cost.”

One of the goals the operations team at Copper Mountainhad, when it upgraded its controls and froth camera systems,was to increase production consistency between shifts. Withthe new system, says Westendorf, the mine was able toreduce the variation in production level between crews toone percent from three or four per cent.

These days, the return on investment can be remarkablyquick due to a combination of the improved technology aswell as the lower costs. “While each camera can producesome 200 points of data each cycle, we currently only use 25points of data within the controls,” says Schaffer, pointingout that research and development is ongoing and quicklydeveloping to use more of the data collected for increasinglyaccurate froth management. CIM

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Froth cameras, which used to cost

up to $35,000 per unit, now run around

$8,000 each.

INSIDE:

MINERS AND FIRST NATIONS COMBINE FORCES

POWER COSTS HOBBLE DEVELOPMENT

PROJECT PROFILE: MACASSA AND SOUTH MINE

MINING SUPPLIERS EXPLORING NEW TERRITORY

TRAVEL: SUDBURY

ONTARIOSPECIAL REPORT

The province is rich with expertise and resources,and a hub for the Canadian mining industry. Today, both producers and the businesses that supplythem are adding fresh ideas to the lessons learnedfrom a long mining history to keep the sector strong and growing.

DeaS

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Combined forcesA new partnership will jump-start mining contracts

for First Nations in northern Ontario By Chris Windeyer


Trainees participate in a mining skills developmentprogram that Cementation Canada adapted for theFirst Nations Mining Corporation.

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aboriginal communities are moving beyond participationvia impact and benefit agreements (IBAs); they are noworganizing businesses and joint partnerships to spearheadmine development.

For the Wabun Tribal Council, mining is nothing new,says Batise. WTC is headquartered in Timmins, where goldmining has been going on for over a century. “From theFirst Nations’ point of view it was a way for us to developour capacity instantly,” Batise says. “If we start from zero todevelop on our own it might take us several decades to getto where the Lavalins or the Cementations have already got-ten to.”

That is where a company like Cementation Canadacomes in. As a mine construction heavyweight, Cementa-tion provides both entry-level mine training and more spe-cific skills training for First Nations employees. EricKohtakangas, Cementation’s vice-president of operations,says his company has adapted a training program that wasoriginally borne of the skills shortage caused by the com-

The First Nations Mining Corporation (FNMC) isemerging as an example of a new kind of partnershipto further aboriginal interests in mining development

in Ontario. Centred in northern Ontario and formallylaunched in early 2014, FNMC is a joint venture betweenfour First Nations and three corporate heavyweights in theCanadian mining industry. Lac Seul, Flying Post, Mattagamiand Wahgoshig First Nations own 51 per cent of the regis-tered corporation, with SNC-Lavalin, Cementation Canadaand the Morris Group holding minority stakes.

“What we had envisioned for [FNCM] was finding a waythat the communities can participate actively in mine con-struction, operation, and closure,” says Jason Batise, eco-nomic development and technical services advisor to theWabun Tribunal Council, which represents the participat-ing First Nations.

According to the Ontario Mining Association, about oneout of every 10 people working in Ontario’s mining indus-try has an aboriginal background. What is changing is that

labour force targets contained in most IBAs. “Obviouslywe’re going to go in and build a project for the mine owner,but at the same time, we’re going to try to support thatagreement,” he says.

What is the benefit for Cementation Canada? Kohtakangaspoints out the company can be more competitive withoutadding additional project costs and by supporting strong FirstNations participation. “It’s a benefit for all partners in the proj-ects including the mine owners. In the end our goal is to bedoing more of these projects with more of the First Nationcommunities and mine owners throughout the north.”

The actual business of doing business is still down theroad, however. The partners have a memorandum ofunderstanding in place and are hammering out detailedagreements that will allow the partnership to begin biddingon contracts. “The more players you add, the more compli-cated it gets,” Batise says. “It’s not adversarial; it’s just a mat-ter of making people comfortable with their positionswithin the corporation.”

Still, Batise says FNMC’s ultimate goal is to offer a modelfor other First Nations in northern Ontario. He points tothe Ring of Fire, where communities have less experiencewith mining of their lands: “If we can help out other FirstNation communities along the way, rub some of our expe-rience off on them and have them participate in the successof FNMC that would be a win-win.” CIM

modities boom of the early 2000s and is now used exclu-sively to train First Nations workers.

The program begins with a six-week basic mine trainingcourse – including three weeks of classroom training intheir home community – to prepare new hires for workingunderground. At that point they pick up entry-level jobsand then, with further training, can choose a more special-ized career path. “With any training program, you want tosee 100 per cent success,” Kohtakangas says. “You don’twant to train 10 community members and come away withtwo [workers].”

While other aboriginal-led mining companies like theNunavut Resource Corporation have positioned themselvesas investors in existing advanced-stage projects, Batise saysFNMC’s aim is to instead be a full life cycle contractor,doing work from the exploration phase through to remedi-ation and monitoring. “We want to be a First Nations min-ing company that can be turnkey for communities and forowners that are looking to satisfy the [impact benefit] agree-ments that they have,” he says.

Kohtakangas notes that even with IBAs in place, smallercommunities can struggle to glean benefits from projectssimply because of a lack of capacity and skilled labour.FNMC can start working with communities beforehand toget them ready for projects. And all that ground workmakes it easier for mine owners to hit the economic and


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Electric fenceMiners say power costs limiting investment in the province

By Ian Ewing

Despite operating in a well-respected and politically sta-ble jurisdiction, miners in Ontario continue to struggleto compete on costs. Energy costs, and in particular

electricity costs, are the second-largest expenditure for mostmines, after labour. Despite the key role mining plays in theindustrial output of the province, Ontario’s advertised electric-ity rate – the price before rebate and incentive programs arefactored in – ranks among the highest in North America,affecting both profitability and new investment.

The Association of Major Power Consumers in Ontario(AMPCO) estimates that an average transmission-connectedclass A industrial user pays more than any other comparableNorth American customer. In 2012 AMPCO’s methodologyfound an average cost of 7.6 cents per kilowatt-hour inOntario compared to 7.3 cents in Alberta, 4.9 cents in BritishColumbia, and 4.5 cents in Quebec. Jennifer Beaudry, aspokesperson for the provincial minister of energy, conteststhese figures; comparisons made by her office put Ontarioahead of some provinces and U.S. states. [For more on theglobal energy market see our feature “Live wire act” on p. 40]

But the competitiveness of Ontario’s electricity pricingdepends on a number of industrial energy rebate and incen-tive programs – among them, the Industrial ElectricityIncentive (IEI), the Industrial Conservation Initiative (ICI),and the Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program(NIER), in which seven mining companies participate.These help lower the price most miners pay but are not along-term solution, industry leaders say.

“The challenge you’ve got is that anybody that wants toinvest new capital for a 20-year mine life can’t base theireconomics on a three-year, temporary program,” saysOntario Mining Association president Chris Hodgson, “or ayear-to-year program, in some cases.”

Clarity around the long-term price is a problem, agreesJohn Mullally, director of corporate affairs at Goldcorp. “Wehave to have certainty of supply and some sense of what theelectricity rate is going to look like in five or 10 or 15years.”

EXCLUSIONARY PRINCIPLESFor some companies, the government’s rebate pro-

grams create a competitive disadvantage. Wesdome Goldfor example does not qualify for NIER because the com-pany uses too little electricity. At its mine and mill facili-ties, which produced a total of 58,230 ounces of gold in2014, Wesdome paid an all-in (net of taxes) effective rateof 7.84 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) last year and morethan 10 cents per kWh for its assay laboratory facility inWawa.

According to Wesdome COO Philip Ng, the companyuses less power to produce an ounce of gold than almostanyone else in the province but is not rewarded for its effi-ciency. “We actually get penalized. If we used seven per centmore electricity, we could drop our unit costs, because we’dget a 16 to 17 per cent reduction in our unit cost for elec-tricity through NIER.

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Critics of Ontario’s energy pricing policies from the miningindustry argue the province’s energy costs and the uncertaintyof rebate programs restricts new development.


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merely to replace some of the generatingcapacity that was lost when Ontarioclosed the old plant while phasing outcoal, according to Ontario’s Long-TermEnergy Plan. The East-West Tie, mean-while, will add redundancy and reliabil-ity, but without significantly boostingcapacity or grid coverage. Neither willhelp lower costs for existing or newmines. The Northwest Bulk Transmis-sion Line could eventually add signifi-cant transmission capacity and open upopportunities to connect currently iso-lated northwestern communities andmines to the grid, but the line remains inearly planning stages.

Historically, Ontario has also pro-vided tax credits for companies that takeon the upfront risk of capital investment.Hodgson considers this preferable to theapproach taken in Quebec and British

Columbia, where the province makes the capital expendi-tures. “If the company can borrow the money, they canbuild the road, or they can build the hydro line,” heexplains. “Over the life of the mine, the government givesthem tax credits back, so that there’s no risk to the taxpayer.We’re basically funding that infrastructure but without tak-ing the risk.”

But with no guarantee of cheap electricity even if they dobuild the infrastructure, investors have avoided undertak-ing any such projects in Ontario. As Hodgson points out,there is no way to quantify the amount of investment theprovince has missed out on because of high energy prices.

Some companies count electricity among the reasons formoving or cancelling projects. The rising cost figured intoXstrata’s 2010 decision to move its smelting operations –and 670 jobs – from Timmins to Quebec. Uncertaintyabout the future of the massive Ring of Fire developmenthinges on infrastructure issues, including electricity.

It always comes back to the cost of producing metal.“Gold is produced around the world, and it’s sold at theexact same price, a fixed price,” says Mullally. “We have nocontrol over our customers either. So, in mining, one of themost critical concerns is managing your production costs.Ontario must compete and remain economic compared toother jurisdictions in order to continue to attract invest-ments from a finite pool of capital.”

Fundamentally, miners and potential investors inOntario want to see the price that most of them already payreflected in the advertised sticker price of electricity. “We’refairly competitive if you can get into these programs, butthey’re just short-term programs,” says Hodgson. “You can’tblow a billion dollars on a 15- to-20-year payback based ona three-year program.”

Ng adds: “To create jobs and make Ontario competitive,to be the business engine of Canada, Ontario needs a com-petitive energy infrastructure.” CIM

“They should create a level playing field, whether you’rea 50,000-ounce producer or a 500,000-ounce producer.”

And more than that, Ng says the paperwork to provethat a company qualifies for any incentive program is bur-densome. Mullally agrees: “It takes major producers consid-erable effort to understand and to apply to the IndependentElectricity System Operator to take advantage, and then toimplement these programs, and then manage and report asrequired, and the teams you need,” he says. “I would guessthat this would be very challenging for a smaller operationwith less manpower. They’re also not easily accounted forwhen considering long-term investment in the province. ”

WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT?Another ongoing issue is getting power to mine sites.

Other provinces have recently invested in upgrading andextending their electricity infrastructures. British Columbialast summer finished the $746-million Northwest Trans-mission Line project that will power Imperial Metals’ newRed Chris copper and gold mine. The new line extendslow-cost, hydroelectricity 344 kilometres further north inthe province than the previously existing network, openingup the economic development of a mineral-rich area andlinking nearby communities to the grid.

Ontario does have similar projects in the works, accord-ing to Beaudry. “We have made it a priority to ensure therecontinues to be a stable, reliable and cost-effective supply ofelectricity,” she says. “Northwestern Ontario is going to getthe power it needs, including the power required for eco-nomic expansion.” She cites several upcoming projects innorthwestern Ontario, including the Thunder Bay Generat-ing Station conversion, the East-West Tie TransmissionLine, and the proposed Northwest Bulk Transmission Line.

However, a closer look suggests that none of theseoptions will improve the situation for miners any timesoon. The Thunder Bay Generating Station conversion aims

Ontario’s heaviest electricity consumers with monthly peak demand exceeding five megawattsfall into the Class A category, those industrial operations with lower demand are Class B.

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itself around over the last year is a case study in re-examin-ing basic assumptions in the business case and successfullyimplementing a wholesale culture change on the ground.

During the boom, Kirkland Lake raised nearly $100million for investment in the infrastructure at its Macassaand South Mine Complex in Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Anupgraded hoisting system, new battery-powered under-ground mobile equipment, and a refurbished mill –including a new 15-by-20-foot Sanland primary ball mill

Erratic gold prices have affected every gold miner. Asprices peaked above US$1,800 per ounce as recentlyas two and a half years ago, many companies invested

heavily to expand their operations and take advantage ofthe historic highs. But when prices plunged to their morerecent levels – below US$1,300 an ounce – many of thosesame companies discovered that their newly expandedoperations were no longer profitable. Kirkland Lake Goldwas one of those companies. How the miner has turned

Kirkland Lake Gold finds its feet again

Roughed up by falling gold prices, the operators at the decades-old mine in northern Ontario

put a sharp focus on cutting waste and boosting grades to get back on solid footing

By Ian Ewing


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money once the gold price dropped below US$1,500 toUS$1,600 per ounce,” Ogilvie says. But with so muchmoney invested in the plan to push throughput, KirklandLake attempted to stay the course. The company com-pounded its growing problems by setting goals to the mar-ket that it was unable to achieve. “They wereover-promising and under-delivering, which was alsoaffecting the share price,” Ogilvie says. Combined with theplummeting commodity price, its market capitalization col-lapsed to $150 million a year ago, spurring major changesat the mine.

Ogilvie was brought on in November 2013 by thenKirkland Lake chairman Harry Dobson. He came fromRambler Metals in Newfoundland, where Dobson was alsochairman. Ogilvie won Dobson’s confidence with his com-bination of experience in the ultra-deep gold mines ofSouth Africa – a similar technical environment to Macassa– and with his success at bringing Rambler to production inthe midst of the global financial crisis, during a notably dif-ficult time for the mining industry.

“Once I accepted the position, I already had a very goodidea that to make the mine successful and make the com-pany successful, we were going to have to get back to tryingto mine closer to the reserve grade,” Ogilvie recalls. “It’s theone thing that differentiates Kirkland Lake from probably99 per cent of the other gold mines in the world: the reservegrade. No matter what the gold price environment is, a corefundamental of our business has to be mining near or at thereserve grade at all times.”

In fact, when Barrick and then Kinross owned it duringthe ’90s, the mine regularly mined at more than 18 gramsper tonne. Ogilvie says he believed that getting back to thatphilosophy could spell redemption for the flounderingoperation. By mining at the current reserve grade – esti-mated at 17 grams per tonne – the company ought to havethe capacity to remain profitable even in difficult gold priceenvironments. In a very high gold price environment, thecompany would be able to make a substantially higher mar-gin and generate free cash flow very quickly.

But changing the philosophy of an entire companywasn’t going to be easy. “How do we change the culturefrom tons and quantity,” Ogilvie wondered, “and get peoplefocused more on grade and quality?”

HOW TO STOP A SHIP FROM SINKINGConcerns about the level of support that Ogilvie would

experience from senior management, who remained from

to supplement three existing Allis Chalmers mills –helped push capacity up to 2,200 tons per day from 1,400tons per day with recovery rates of 96 per cent. The aimwas to produce 200,000 ounces annually. At the sametime, the labour force grew to 1,250 workers by late-2013from 200 employees five years ago. Like many gold min-ing companies at the time, Kirkland Lake was buildingitself to push tons.

“Two or three years ago, Kirkland Lake had a marketcapitalization of $1.5 billion,” says current CEO GeorgeOgilvie. Like many miners, Kirkland Lake used the highgold price to lower its cut-off grade. The company beganmining more marginal ore outside the high-grade veins thatcharacterize the Macassa ore body.

Then the gold price started to dive. “Suddenly, pushingtons at the expense of the grade was not going to make

The narrow, high-grade veins at the Macassa and South MineComplex have been mined since 1933. The emphasis at themine is now ore quality over quantity.

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160 employees who were notreplaced. The net loss of those235 employees, or roughly 20per cent of the total labourforce, has not hindered pro-duction.

Some skills did have to besupplemented, however. “Thisore body is a very difficult orebody to read,” says Ogilvie,due to the narrow veins ofhigh-grade ore. “You mightthink you’re mining on thevein or mining in the ore, butin reality you could be in thewall. It has to be very carefully

monitored.” So additional underground geologists werehired to ensure every rock face could be inspected onevery shift. The bolstered force now takes 30 per centmore chip samples than it used to, and geologists mark uplines on underground faces to direct miners where to con-tinue mining in order to stay in the high-grade veins.

The mine’s assay lab also received a staffing boost so itcould be active around the clock. Previously, the labclosed on nights and weekends, meaning an assay mightnot be turned around for up to 48 hours. With the new-found focus on grade, uncertainty about the ore qualitywas unacceptable. The assay lab now turns samplesaround in eight to 12 hours. “The next shift coming onknows exactly what is ore and what is waste, and where ithas to be moved to,” explains Ogilvie.

Another important factor in the company’s turnaround –which is evident in its more recent market capitalization ofnearly $340 million – was raising the cut-off grade to 0.22ounces per ton from 0.18 ounces per ton. By decreasing theamount of marginal ore that is mined, the company saves

the previous regime, were quicklyallayed. The team was committed tochange. In fact, they had made manyof the same recommendations thatOgilvie subsequently implemented.Among those changes, the numberone priority had to be to get the headgrade up, which meant reducingexternal dilution.

At the time Ogilvie came on,incremental ore was being mined as amatter of course, says Kirkland Lakespokesperson Suzette Ramcharan.Worse, other low-grade material,including waste, was finding its wayinto the ore pass. Whether due toworkplace culture, the fact that the bonus system measuredemployees on tons and footage, or a combination of the two,waste in the ore pass was lowering the head grade anddecreasing productivity. Management acted quickly, using anold method Ogilvie had picked up in South Africa. Supervi-sors put metal washers, stamped with a serial number anddate, into the mine’s waste piles. As material entered the mill,magnets picked up the washers, betraying when and wherewaste material came from – and therefore which miner haddirected it to the ore pass. Within six weeks, waste materialstopped entering the ore pass. Head grades jumped to 0.43ounces per ton in January 2014 from 0.29 ounces per ton inNovember 2013, an improvement of nearly 50 per cent.

In January 2014, the company was forced to cut 75positions. Over the next year, attrition claimed another


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Captions, left:

“Once I accepted the position,I already had a very good idea

that to make the minesuccessful and make thecompany successful, we were going to have

to get back to trying to minecloser to the reserve grade.”

– G. Ogilvie

Captions, opposite page: 1. The quality of the ore hoisted to the millhas gotten special attention. 2. In the maintenance shop. 3. There arecurrently 1,015 workers employed at the mine. 4. One of of 12 new batterypowered LHDs

BATTERY-POWERED MININGThe Macassa and South Mine Complex is on the forefront of mining technology with some of the newest andmost unique equipment in the industry. Faced with ventilation limits that prevented the mine from growing itsunderground diesel fleet, Kirkland Lake became one of the first companies in the industry to introduce battery-powered vehicles. A brand-new fleet of 12 load haul dump (LHD) scoops and three haul trucks, manufactured byRDH Mining Equipment, take long-life lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries, which produce no emissions.

The equipment enjoys flexibility that tethered electric machines and trolleys do not. The LHDs, with three-cubic-yard buckets, use batteries that can put out 100 kilowatts (134 hp), while the mine’s 20-ton haul trucks are out-fitted with 165 kW (221 hp) versions. Both sets of batteries are made from common components and use thesame software and controls, minimizing spares inventory, says company CEO George Ogilvie.

Of course, managing the batteries does require coordination as they must be swapped twice per shift. To ensureno downtime, one battery always has to be charging, one cooling, and one on the equipment.

The company still uses diesel LHDs, but it will continue replacing diesel machines with battery technologymoving forward.

ule, stockpiling material over the weekend to process thenext week. “But in the winter, you don’t want to shut downthe mill, for fear of something freezing,” says Ramcharan.“So we’ve gone back to seven days per week for the winter,so we do have some cost savings that we’re not able to seebecause we’re not operating at full capacity.” Additionalexploration could find new high-grade targets that mighthelp bring production up, but that is a longer-term plan. Fornow, the focus is on managing the current changes.

on labour, equipment and processing costs. The mine isnow using only 1,100 tons of its 2,200-ton-per-day capacity,but the higher grade ore and lower labour costs mean thatthe company is once again profitable and with free cash flow,a step in the right direction.

Running the mill at half-capacity does create some ineffi-ciencies, admits Ramcharan, due to the fixed costs of “keep-ing the lights on,” so to speak. During the summer, the minewas able to run the mill on a five days on/two days off sched-


THE TURNAROUND

KIRKLAND LAKE GOLD MARKET CAPITALIZATION

Oct. 31, 2013 Feb. 19, 2015

$255 $345 million million

GOLD PRICE ($/oz.)

US$1,324 US$1,206 C$1,268 C$1,510

34%REDUCTION OF ALL-IN CASH COST PER OUNCE PRODUCED

Q2 2015 (ENDING 10/31/14) VS Q2 2014 (ENDING 10/31/2013)

Miners are now given bonuses based on ounces produced, whichreplaces the old system focused on footage and volume.

The labour force itself, meanwhile, is still in flux as man-agement tries to find the “sweet spot” where costs are min-imized while production remains unaffected. Productivityis back up to the historical average at the site of one ton perday per worker, after dropping for a time below 0.9 tonsper worker. Ogilvie says he believes, however, that the minecan produce 1,200 to 1,250 tons per day with the currentlabour force of 1,015 employees. He hopes to achieve thatby the end of the mine’s fiscal year in April.

Ramcharan notes that Kirkland Lake has budgetedcosts for the 2015 fiscal year based on a gold price of$1,350. “We believe around $1,000 per ounce is abreak-even point that we could sustain” with additionalcost-cutting measures, she adds. With prices comfort-ably above that level for now, the company appears tobe in good shape. Its gradually rising share price andreturn to profitability in the last two quarters bear thatout. “Just because gold has come off $500 an ouncedoesn’t mean this mine is going anywhere,” Ramcharanemphasizes.

Blessed with one of the highest-grade ore bodies in theworld, Kirkland Lake has always had the ability to be a win-ner. With its new focus on profitability instead of pure pro-duction, the company is on a path to live up to its potentialonce again. For the 10,000 residents of the town of Kirk-land Lake plus the surrounding communities that dependon the mine as an economic driver, that is the best newsthey have heard in a while. CIM

THERE’S MORE TO A MINE THAN JUSTMACHINES AND A MILL

These changes gave the company the technical capabil-ity to mine closer to the reserve grade it wanted again, butchanging the culture meant more than just providingemployees with better information and preventing themfrom taking advantage of the system.

After nine months of evaluating the mine, Ogilvie andhis new vice-president of operations, Chris Stewart,brought in a consultant to perform leadership training. RayBushfield of Laidy and Ray Consulting was hired to helpimprove the leadership, management and communicationskills of the senior, mid-tier and front-line supervisors. Dur-ing the company’s growth to 1,250 employees from 200,most had never received training to teach them the skillsnecessary for their new roles managing much wider areas ofresponsibility. Now they were finally learning how to com-municate with their employees, provide feedback and,where necessary, counsel employees on difficult subjectslike lack of productivity or absenteeism.

Even more recently, in a move that mirrors the practicesat Goldcorp’s high grade Red Lake operation, the bonusstructure at Kirkland Lake was scrutinized with a thoughtto move the focus on ounces produced, rather than onfootage and tons. Including components for safety and costas well as productivity, the new bonus structure will bemore in line with the company’s corporate objective tomine quality ounces.


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IT’S ALL MINE | CIM.ORG

CIM IS:ROKI FUKUZAWASenior Environmental Engineer, Hatch2012-2015 MetSoc of CIM Board Member / 2012-2015 Environment Section Chair of MetSoc Symposium Chair for COM 2014 / Proceedings Editor for COM 2014

Our members are the core strength of CIM.

CIM DELIVERSVALUE TO ITS 15,000 MEMBERS

GET INVOLVED. IT’S REWARDING.Impliquez-vous. C’est valorisant.

“CIM is an integrated platform that has provided my colleagues and I at Hatch with opportunities to connect with clients, understand their challenges and collaborate on technological solutions that enables us to contribute to our clients’ successes and the long term sustainability of the industry.”


Beyond the backyardNorthern Ontario mining suppliers outgrow their traditional customers

By Eavan Moore

Vale’s operations hurt the mining suppliers that counted onthem for business. “It really caused a lot of financial stress onthose suppliers that were significantly relying on Vale rev-enues,” says Andrea Gaunt, mining sector advisor at ExportDevelopment Canada (EDC). “And it really had themrethinking international opportunities and globalization alittle bit more seriously than they would have otherwise.”

THE NEED TO EXPANDDave Rector knows well the risks of depending on a few

customers. His machining business in Sault St. Marie reliedon the steel and forestry industries, diversifying into miningonly in 2006 when Weyerhaeuser’s local operations closed.“Back in the ‘90s, we had three businesses that were 65 percent of our income,” he says. “To me, that’s scary, when youhave three big players and you don’t have much to back itup. If you’re not moving forward and expanding, you’regoing to go stagnant, and the market’s going to walk awayfrom you.”

Now with a healthy mining customer base north of theSault, Rector is considering going further afield. He thinkshe could sell truck parts in South America, but he wants towait a year or two before investing too much in an exportcampaign. “Right now, we want to take care of the cus-tomers that we currently have,” he says. “We don’t want to

For every one personemployed in anOntario mine, there

are two employed in thesectors that supply them.The expertise accumulatedin the province has longoverflowed its borders, butlocal developments andglobal forces have chal-lenged mine suppliers whomight otherwise havestayed content with localbusiness.

“We’re running about15,000 people workingjust in Sudbury alone onservice functions andproducts and services,”says Dick DeStefano, exec-utive director of the Sud-bury Area Mining Supplyand Service Association(SAMSSA). “Vale andGlencore have maybe5,000 people or 6,000 people total working. Mining sup-pliers get to the point where they need to maintain theirworkforces, so they go look for other markets.”

DeStefano believes that more northern Ontario suppliershave turned their attention outwards. Part of that is simplydue to the universal downturn; in Ontario as everywhereelse, mining has slowed in recent years. But Vale and Glen-core (then Xstrata) also changed the local landscape whenthey acquired major customers Inco and Falconbridge in2008 and 2009.

“When the global mining companies purchased theCanadian assets, among all the other effects two actionsoccurred regarding the acquisitions,” explains SpencerRamshaw, director, information and communications at theCanadian Association of Mining Equipment and Services forExport (CAMESE). “One, global suppliers became moreaware of the Canadian assets as an opportunity via existingrelationships with Vale and Xstrata. Two, the procurementstrategies and policies from these global companies wereintegrated into the Canadian operations. These two activitiestogether made it more important for Canadian companies toexplore their export potential as a result of the increasedout-of-Canada competition into their local markets.”

Meanwhile, the risk involved in depending on a coupleof companies hit home in 2010, when a prolonged strike at

A technician for Abitibi Geophysics of Thunder Bay demonstrates ground survey equipment for international miner Vale.

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and complicated: “They scare the heck out of these compa-nies, when in fact, exporting is really easy.”

That is easy, at least, if you have an export-ready prod-uct. Sauvé is able to help companies struggling with distrib-utor networks and marketing, but fundamentally hismentees need to have a product that distinguishes itself ona global level.

One such product was the novel belt alignment systemoffered by Conveyors Plus, started at the Timmins home offormer Xstrata employee Dave Sharp. What started as a side-line in 2004 turned into overwhelming demand, compellingSharp to quit his job at Kidd Creek mine and market hisproduct full time. “The plan wasn’t to go really big,” heremarks. “I just wanted to work in Timmins, and then otherpeople talked to other people, and that’s how it started off.”

Sharp completed SEMP and then applied for its market-ing assistance fund: $10,000 a year for trade show fees andsimilar expenses. It helped him expand to Saskatchewanpotash mines, the oil sands, Labrador City, the United States,and the large mines in Chile and Peru.

Joe Gladu, vice-president at Sudbury-based tech firmSymboticware, says Sudbury is a great incubator for miningtechnology; many mines are within an hour’s drive, andthere is access to many different suppliers. But the six-year-old company always needed to think bigger. “Even beyondOntario, looking at the Americas, we are seeing a bit moremomentum in South America,” he says. “Canadian invest-ment in these markets has certainly helped fuel demand forour solutions.”

Symboticware also benefits from government support,including from EDC. For the last decade, EDC has providedaccounts receivable insurance for Canadian exporters,wooed and provided financing to foreign buyers on the con-dition they consider Canadian equipment and services, andset up meetings between suppliers and potential foreignbuyers. In 2013 EDC provided financial and risk manage-ment support of almost $13 billion to mines and their sup-pliers, which is nearly twice as much as it provided in 2005.

Gaunt indicated that EDC has extended numerous for-eign loans to international mining companies, such asChile’s Codelco, on the condition that they increase theirawareness and engagement with Canadian suppliers.Financing for Codelco, for example, has helped promotemore than $888-million worth of purchases from Canadain the last five years, involving more than 150 suppliers ofeverything from engineering services to environmentaltechnologies.

For many of these foreign borrowers, EDC has noted asignificant increase in procurement from Canada. There isstill a tendency for mom-and-pops to throw their hands upat the idea of exporting, according to DeStefano. But forthose intrigued by the idea, there are still more sources ofhelp, the Industrial Research Assistance Program and Sud-bury Regional Development among them.

Over at SEMP, Rennie has a plug to put in for this year’sround of applications: “We hope to work with up to 12more companies in 2015.” CIM

grow too fast, and we want to see where the markets aregoing to go.”

Michael Gribbons, vice-president of Sudbury-basedMaestro Mine Ventilation, started manufacturing Ethernet-based monitoring and control equipment with partnerDavid Ballantyne four years ago. For Gribbons, avoidingreliance on the local market means keeping employmentsteady. He has seen northern Ontario suppliers load up onlabour in a local upturn and lay people off in a downturn.But Gribbons says he thinks valuable employees need to feeltheir job will survive during hard times.

“So going into this, we made a conscious effort to avoidthe lucrative local service-based business,” he says. Insteadof tying up labour servicing ventilation equipment at thelocal mines, Maestro trained other service companies on itsproduct and invested into scaling the business for the inter-national market. Already, sixty per cent of its revenues areoutside of Ontario, and the company plans to increase thatnumber to 85 per cent in five years.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORTEager to sell to a global market, the management at

Maestro applied right away to the Strategic Export and Mar-keting Program (SEMP), a program launched in 2011 aspart of the Mining Supply and Services Export AssistanceProgram by the province but now funded by both FedNorand Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation anddelivered by Ontario’s North Economic Development Cor-poration. The program was launched following a 2010study that suggested just how large the mining supply sec-tor in northern Ontario had grown. Before then, industryprofessionals had had a sense of its size, but the existenceof solid numbers provided justification for giving formalsupport to smaller players.

“It showed $5.6 billion worth of sales,” says DeStefano.“It showed 23,000 people employed in the mining supplysector in northern Ontario, and it showed that only 19 percent of what they were producing was going outside ofCanada, that 19 per cent was going to the rest of Canada,and 62 per cent was staying within the region.”

The study made it all the more clear that the mining sup-ply sector in Ontario is worth nurturing. Moreover, somecompanies do need help. As Scott Rennie, program managerat SEMP, puts it: “A large portion of the firms that were iden-tified have way too much of their revenue locked up withvery few customers in northern Ontario.”

SEMP selects applying companies that are small andwell-managed for one-on-one strategy development andmentoring over a six-month period. Jon Baird, former man-aging director of CAMESE, who has worked with 50 suchcompanies over the last few years, says each firm is different– some should be exporting just to southern Ontario, othersto specific provinces or countries.

Mel Sauvé, president of Global Growth Results, alsomentored companies in SEMP. He often found a willingnessto export was the chief asset companies had. Some advice-givers, he says, suggest that exporting is exceedingly tough


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v MOECC. The end result: former D&Os of a bankruptcompany paid $4.75 million of their own money to settlelitigation.

In Baker, Northstar Aerospace (Canada) Inc., a Cana-dian subsidiary corporation, voluntarily remediatedtrichloroethylene (TCE) contamination at its Cambridge,Ontario property. Northstar encountered financial diffi-culty during the lengthy remediation. The MOECC issuedorders requiring Northstar to continue remediation, andto post $10 million in financial assurance. Northstar laterobtained creditor protection and eventually declaredbankruptcy, at which time the MOECC took over theremediation due to neighbouring human health concerns.

In November 2012, the MOECC issued a new orderagainst Northstar, its U.S. parent corporation, and 13 for-mer D&Os (including D&Os from the U.S. parent). Theorder required the D&Os to continue costly groundwatermonitoring and remediation. A number of the directorsnamed were appointed after contamination took place,but MOECC took the position that Northstar’s D&Osfailed to set aside adequate remediation funds prior tobankruptcy.

The corporate directors appealed the order to Ontario’sEnvironmental Review Tribunal (ERT). The ERT deniedan interim stay and held that interrupting the remediationprogram posed serious ongoing risks to human health andthe natural environment. The directors unsuccessfullyappealed this decision to the Superior Court and mount-ing litigation and remediation costs forced Northstar’sD&Os to pursue settlement.

In October 2013, 10 of Northstar’s former D&Osresolved the matter by paying $4.75 million in exchangefor a release from the MOECC’s order.

IMPLICATIONS FOR DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS IN ONTARIO

Baker showed that MOECC’s willingness to turn toD&Os for remediation funding may hinge on:• the significance of the pollution event • the degree of control of the D&Os

Mine operators across Canada let out a collectivegasp on Aug. 4, 2014, after a breach of the tail-ings storage facility dyke at the Mount Polley

mine. The next day, the B.C. Ministry of the Environmentissued a Pollution Abatement Order to the Mount PolleyMine Corporation, ordering the corporation to undertakean environmental assessment and cleanup.

What will happen if a mine accident like Mount Polleyoccurs in Ontario? How will the Ministry of the Environ-ment and Climate Change (MOECC) respond? It oftencomes as a surprise to corporate directors and officers(D&Os) that the Ontario government can and does issueorders pursuant to the Environmental Protection Act(EPA) against D&Os directly and personally for environ-mental investigation and remediation.

REGULATORY AUTHORITYThe MOECC regulates spills and discharges from

mines pursuant to its powers under the EPA. Ontario’sMining Act forms the regulatory framework for mineoperations, closure and rehabilitation, but the Act doesnot explicitly impose personal liability on D&Os. In con-trast, the MOECC has the authority to target D&Osdirectly for environmental offences committed by thecompany.

That authority is not new. Numerous examples ofD&O prosecutions and convictions exist in the mining,waste and industrial sectors.

What is new, however, is the MOECC’s assertiveness inissuing remedial and preventive orders against D&Os. Itcan issue cleanup orders against any person who “has orhad management or control of an undertaking or prop-erty.” A “person” may include the corporation, the D&Osof that corporation, and managers and employees. Theorder can require costly environmental monitoring,reporting and remediation.

THE BAKER CASEThe MOECC’s willingness to issue cleanup orders

against D&O was recently highlighted in the case of Baker

Environmental regulatory liability in the mining sector

By Richard Butler and Nicole Petersen



SPECIA

L REPORT

Ontario

has been able to allocate the remaining $47.1 million infuture costs.

Even so, the Mount Polley story is not over: the B.C.government released its findings about the accident onJan. 30, 2015. Further orders and prosecutions arepending.

PLANNING FOR LIABILITY EXPOSURESThe Mount Polley incident will spur heightened regu-

latory oversight of tailings storage facilities and mine oper-ations in Canada. D&Os of mining companies active inOntario, whether the D&Os reside in Ontario or not,need to plan for increased scrutiny of mine operations andenvironmental safety. D&Os would be wise to confirmwhether their company offers D&O indemnification aswell as a policy of D&O insurance with high coverage lim-its and no environmental exclusions.

Richard Butler is a lawyer at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLPin Toronto. Richard practises civil environmental litigation, includingdefending clients subject to environmental prosecutions or Orders. Headvises clients from the natural resources, mining and exploration,manufacturing and electricity sectors. He can be reached at 416-862-4837or by e-mail at [email protected].

Nicole Petersen is a lawyer at Willms & Shier Environmental Lawyers LLPin Toronto. She may be reached at 416-642-4872 or by e-mail [email protected].

CIM

• the degree of control/involvement of the corporateparent

• the financial (in)stability of the responsible company • the availability (or lack) of others to pay for remedia-

tion (e.g. insurance)In the event of a tailings discharge in Ontario, the

mine operator should expect to receive monitoring andremediation orders similar to those issued against MountPolley Mining Corporation. Depending on the extent ofits management and control, the corporate parent may benamed in the order and, similar to the Mount Polley inci-dent, D&Os may (initially) escape being named in a reg-ulatory order.

For junior mining companies with a single operatingproperty, an underfunded project or lacking appropriateenvironmental insurance, one substantial incident canthrow the company into dire financial straits. In Ontario,failing to undertake remediation, or failing to set asidefunds for remediation, incentivizes the MOECC to look toD&Os to make up the shortfall.

Imperial Metals recorded $67.4 million in costs,including $20.3 million incurred for response andrecovery. Production at the income-generating mine hasstalled. In contrast to Baker, however, Imperial Metals isweathering the storm. Imperial Metals continues toactively monitor and remediate. Importantly, the company

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.willmsshier.com/lawyers/details/nicole-petersen

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.willmsshier.com/lawyers/details/richard-butler


TRAVEL

SudburyBy Laura Gregorini

The city’s south endoffers a broad range ofcuisine from woodoven pizzas, pastasand desserts at RipeRestaurant to finedining, modern Ital-ian cuisine and a well-stocked wine cellar atVerdicchio Ris-torante/Enoteca.

For more interna-tional flavours, headdowntown to La CasaMexicana located in

the historic Telegraphbuilding, or TandooriTastes for authenticIndian and Pakistanihalal food.

Guests looking for apint and some livemusic in the ElginStreet district shouldtry the Laughing Bud-dha, which boasts anopen-air patio inwarmer months, orthe Townehouse Tav-ern where, legend has

it, Stompin’ Tom Con-nors penned the song“Sudbury SaturdayNight.”

The popular newTucos Tacos Loungein the residentialDonovan neighbour-hood (close to down-town) is vegan.

wireless Internet.Prices range from$125/night for a one-bedroom suite to$150/night for a two-bedroom suite. Dis-counts are availableto guests stayingseven or more nights.Those staying for overa month avoid theharmonized sales tax.

Homewood Suitesand Hampton Inn,adjacent hotels oper-ated under the Hiltonchain are located inthe city’s south end,about 30 minutesfrom the airport.Close to restaurants,grocery stores andretail shops, these

hotels have a pooland a fitness centreand they can accom-modate businessmeetings with accessto audio and visualequipment rental.

Rooms range from$119/night for oneking bed to $299/night

for a two-bedroom,two-bathroom suite.

About 20 minutesfrom the airport andclose to major high-ways are the Marriotthotels: Fairfield Innand Suites and theTownePlace Suites.Located in close

proximity to oneanother, each of thesehotels features freehot and cold break-fast, a pool and a fit-ness centre. Twomajor shopping cen-tres, restaurants and acinema are nearby.Room rates start at$115/night.

Greater Sudbury has been a centre of mining activity ever since Tom Flanagan, a blacksmith for the Canadian Pacific Railway, first discovered nickel ore in 1883.Today the city, which has been long dubbed the Nickel Centre, has expanded its

resource-based economy into other sectors. Known as a research, health and educationcentre for northeastern Ontario, the city also has a vibrant francophone community and athriving arts and theatre scene. With more lakes than any other municipality in Canada (more than 300 cover a geo-graphic area of 3,637 kilometres) at hand, Sudbury provides plenty of fun for outdoorenthusiasts. Depending on the time of year, business travelers with some downtime canswim, fish, canoe, snowshoe, skate or cross-country ski.

No public transit is available to and from the Greater Sudbury Airport. To avoid wait times arrange a pick-up before your arrival, whether you’retravelling via taxi, shuttle service or limousine.

TIP

WHERE TO STAYSituated in the smallcommunity of Cop-per Cliff a few min-utes outside ofSudbury, the historicCopper KettleGuesthouse wasbuilt at the turn ofthe century by thenInco Ltd. to accom-modate its employ-ees. Converted into aguesthouse in 2003,it features one- andtwo-bedroom fur-nished apartmentsuites with a separatebedroom and livingroom along with afully equippedkitchen. On-sitelaundry facilities areavailable and guestshave access to free

PLACES TO EAT

Courtesy of Tandoori Tastes

Courtesy of P199

Onaping Falls

community venueTheatre Cambrian.


Science North isSudbury’s most pop-ular tourist destina-tion and the secondlargest science centrein Canada. Built onan ancient geologicalfault line that hasbeen inactive for onebillion years, the cen-tre features an IMAXTheatre, planetarium,butterfly gallery,hands-on exhibits,live animals, andmore for kids andadults alike. In thesummer months,climb aboard theWilliam RamseyCruise, which isparked outside thescience centre, andtake a tour of RamseyLake.

A stay in Sudburyisn’t complete with-out a visit to the

iconic Big Nickel, a30-foot replica of a1951 Canadian five-cent coin located onthe grounds of earthsciences museumDynamic Earth. Themuseum focuses onthe city’s mining her-itage and geologicalhistory. Guests candescend seven storeysbelow the surface andgo on an under-ground mine tour.

Experience Sudburyoutdoors and get outto one of its manyhiking and bikingtrails (visit rain-bowroutes.com for amap). About 10 min-utes from downtownis the Lake Laurent-ian ConservationArea, a real gem with2,400 acres of pro-tected green space Dive into the local art

and culture scene andvisit the Art Galleryof Sudbury, GalerieDu Nouvel Ontario,and Artists on Elgin,all within the down-town area. Theatregoers, try the Sud-bury Theatre Cen-tre, Theatre duNouvel Ontario, or

WHERE TO EXPLORE

HOW TO GET HERE

Check if your destinationis open before visiting as

some businesses inSudbury are seasonal.

TIP

The Greater Sudbury Airport is locatedabout 24 km northeast of the city’s down-town area. Air Canada offers daily flightsfrom Toronto Pearson International Airport,while Porter Airlines offers daily flights fromToronto’s Billy Bishop Airport. Bearskin Air-lines flies from Sudbury to centres in north-eastern Ontario daily. Charter service isavailable as well as meeting and conferencefares for groups of six or more travelling tothe same destination.

GETTINGAROUNDCar rental companies Avis, Enterprise andNational are located in the arrivals area of theterminal building. Sudbury Cab providestaxi and shuttle service at the airport. Taxifares range from $42 to New Sudbury (25minutes), $63 to the south end (35 minutes),and $80 to Copper Cliff. Shuttle service isabout $15 or so less. Nite Lite Limousine andMr. Rite Limousine service are also available.

If you plan on visiting Science North,

the IMAX andplanetarium, all in one

day, get the Play All DayPassport, which includesadult tickets to all three

attractions for $35.

TIP

Courtesy of M

ichael Bernier

Courtesy of Frank Meier

Courtesy of G

regory Gibson

Lake Laurentian Conservation Area

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

that is perfect for hik-ing, jogging, bikingor in winter, snow-shoeing and cross-country skiing.

Rent a canoe orsnowshoes ($20 halfday/$40 full day)through the Laurent-ian University Out-door Centre.

About a 40-minutedrive outside Sud-bury in Onaping Fallsis the A.Y. JacksonLookout, namedafter the Group ofSeven painter whocaptured the scenicview of High Fallscascading 180 feetinto the Sudburybasin in the painting“Spring on the Onap-ing River.”

SECTIONfrancophone

La version française intégraledu CIM Magazine estdisponible en ligne :

magazine.CIM.org/fr-CA

article de fond73 Sous haute tension

Les coûts de l’électricité peuvent contribuer à l’échec ou à la réussite de l’économie d’une mine.Par Chris Windeyer

67 Lettre de l’éditeur67 Mot du président

68 Les actualités en bref78 Kirkland Lake Gold

se remet sur piedMalmenés par la chute des cours de l’or, les exploitants d’une mine du nord de l’Ontario en activité depuis plusieurs décennies mettent l’accent sur la réduction des résidus miniers et l’optimisation des teneurs pourretrouver des bases solides.Par Ian Ewing

83 Congrès de l’ICM 2015 : Guide préliminaire de l’Expo!

115 Résumés techniquesJa

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lettre de l’éditeur mot du president

Le CIM Magazine, la publi-cation phare de l'Institutcanadien des mines, de

la métallurgie et du pétrole, etle projet le plus important dudépartement de la communi-cation, des publications et desmédias au bureau national, afranchi une étape importanteen début d'année. Et noussommes passés à côté. Enjetant un coup d'œil rapide à lareliure du magazine, Andrea

Nichiporuk, notre directrice-rédactrice en chef, nous a faitremarquer que nous publions aujourd'hui notre 10e volume.Malheureusement, nous étions trop concentrés sur la publica-tion du premier numéro de l'année pour accorder l'importancequ'il se doit aux noces d'étain du magazine.

Il convient de noter que seule Andrea faisait partie de l'équipedes publications lors du lancement du CIM Magazine en 2006. Àce moment-là, la création du magazine était un exemple phy-sique, que l'on pouvait tenir entre nos mains et qui montrait quel'institut centenaire était en pleine évolution.

« À l'ICM, nous avons hérité de décennies de pratiques et deculture, dont certaines sont maintenant dépassées », écrivait ledirecteur exécutif de l'ICM Jean Vavrek dans le premier numéro dumagazine. « Nous allons changer le cours des choses. »

Ainsi, l'équipe des publications a inauguré le CIM Magazine etsuspendu la publication du CIM Bulletin. Lorsque l'équipe a pris lerisque d'arrêter de publier ce bulletin d'information fiable qui exis-tait depuis 75 ans pour tenter quelque chose de différent, elle adonné naissance au modèle que nous explorons depuis lors. Demon point de vue, celui d'un technicien travaillant sur cette expéri-ence depuis cinq ans et d'un observateur de l'industrie, il m'appar-tient de féliciter l'esprit pionnier de Jean, d'Heather Ednie, rédactriceen chef à l'époque, et d'Andrea, assistante à la rédaction à l'époque.

Vous avez sans doute remarqué que l'évolution se poursuitdans notre 10e volume du CIM Magazine. Nous proposons désor-mais davantage d'articles en français dans la version imprimée. Lasection Actualités comprend maintenant une « liste des projets encours de réalisation » dans laquelle nous tentons de répertorier lesprojets en cours, et nous sommes impatients de voir cette liste s'a-grandir. Le projet le plus ambitieux de l'année 2015 reste cepen-dant la réorganisation du CIM Magazine en ligne, qui est prévueen cours d'année. Elle consistera à rendre plus agréable la lecturedu contenu du magazine, mais surtout réinventera ce que le CIMMagazine représente. Dans l'idéal, elle rendra hommage à l'espritde la publication telle qu'elle a été lancée il y a dix ans.

Ryan Bergen, Rédacteur en chef

[email protected]

@Ryan_CIM_Mag

Àla fin du mois de janvier, lecomité d’experts indépen-dant chargé de l’enquête

technique a publié son rapport sur ladéfaillance de la digue à résidus de lamine de Mount Polley. Dans lenuméro du 12 février 2015 duReporter de l’ICM, j’ai publié une noterésumant les conclusions du comitéet présentant les premières mesuresconcrètes que prendra l’Institut. L’ICMa l’intention de coordonner sesefforts avec ceux des organismes etdes ressources spécialisées pertinentes au sein de l’industrie des minérauxdans le but commun de soutenir et promouvoir les pratiques exemplairesdans la conception, l’exploitation et la surveillance des digues à résidus etdes installations de rétention. Peu après la publication de ma note relativeà la mine de Mount Polley, l’équipe des communications de l’ICM m’a aviséqu’elle avait attiré beaucoup d’attention, ce qui témoigne du grand intérêtdes membres de l’ICM envers cette question. J’invite nos membres à lire lerésumé du rapport du comité à mountpolleyreviewpanel.ca. Vous trouve-rez également un texte sur les conclusions du comité à la page 14.

Le Congrès et l’Expo! de l’ICM, qui se tiendra du 10 au 13 mai 2015 àMontréal, approche à grands pas. Pour que cet événement demeure parmiles plus importants congrès miniers au monde, nous comprenons que nousdevons y offrir un contenu solide, pertinent et actuel. La conception du pro-gramme technique, qui est une composante centrale du congrès, a tradition-nellement été sous la supervision d’un président du programme techniquebénévole. Ce rôle clé étant devenu de plus en plus difficile et demandant deplus en plus de temps avec les années, l’ICM a récemment créé un poste decoordonnateur du programme technique au sein de son équipe. JanetSandor fournira un soutien administratif au président bénévole du pro-gramme technique, permettant ainsi à celui-ci de se concentrer sur ce qu’ilfait de mieux : définir et apporter le meilleur contenu technique au congrès.

Je vous encourage à venir à Montréal pour le congrès 2015, qui com-prendra, entre autres nombreux sujets, un programme technique axé surles pratiques exemplaires en matière de gestion des résidus. Inscrivez-vous maintenant pour profiter des rabais offerts aux inscriptions hâtives.Montréal est une ville formidable et nous y avons toujours une excel-lente participation!

Je profite également de l’occasion pour dire un très chaleureux au revoirà Serge Major et pour souhaiter la bienvenue à Riccardo DiPerna et àDanielle Langlois au sein de l’équipe du bureau national de l’ICM. M. Majora pris sa retraite en décembre dernier après 19 ans de service à titre dedirecteur des finances et de l’administration. Sa vaste connaissance del’Institut, son travail éthique et son irrévérence nous manqueront. MmeLanglois se joint à nous à titre de directrice de l’administration et de la tech-nologie de l’information; M. DiPerna est contrôleur de l’ICM.

Sean WallerPrésident de l’ICM

Mieux vaut tard que jamais Poursuivons la discussion à Montréal


Les actualités en bref


nations au sein des conseils d’administra-tion dans le secteur des ressources natu-relles et 14 % de toute la main-d’œuvrecanadienne dans le secteur minier.Mme Heggie prévoit éliminer cette

disparité en favorisant le soutien fémi-nin dans le secteur des entreprises. Ellea initié le programme Betty-Ann Heg-gie Womentorship à l’Université de laSaskatchewan, qui a été lancé en sep-tembre 2009 et qui consiste à jumelerdes professionnelles chevronnées avecde nouvelles diplômées.Les choses ont déjà considérable-

ment changé pour les femmes dans lesecteur minier depuis le milieu desannées 1990, a souligné Mme Heggie,se rappelant d’une fois où on lui avaitdemandé de ne pas se rendre dans unemine en Allemagne à cause d’unevieille superstition selon laquelle laprésence d’une femme dans une mineprésageait d’une catastrophe mortelle.Aujourd’hui, Betty-Ann Heggie est

fière de voir les nombreuses femmesingénieures et gestionnaires qui fontpartie de WIM Canada : « Je sais sim-plement que notre situation va s’amé-liorer et cela me fait chaud au cœur. » – Sahar Fatima

Une mine de cuivremexicaine interrompttemporairement sesactivités

Aura Minerals a annoncé en janvieravoir interrompu ses activités à la minede cuivre d’Aránzazu, au Mexique, enraison du cours actuel des produits debase. « Bien que cette décision soit diffi-

cile et inquiétante, en particulier pourles employés de la mine d’Aránzazu etla collectivité locale, elle permettra deprotéger notre situation de trésoreriedurant cette période économiqueincertaine », a déclaré le président etchef de la direction de la société, JimBannantine. Le cours du cuivre tour-nait autour de 2,60 $ US la livre ($/lb)à la mi-février, en baisse par rapport aucours de 3,20 $ US/lb à la mêmepériode l’an dernier.Les concentrés de cuivre continue-

ront d’être traités jusqu’à épuisementdes réserves, après quoi le personnelrestera sur le site minier pour s’assurerque les normes environnementales,sociales, réglementaires et de sécuritésont maintenues durant la suspensiondes activités. La société examine actuellement les

plans de mise en valeur de la mine, lescoûts du site et les dépenses en immo-bilisations, et prévoit publier un nou-veau rapport NC 43-101 susceptibled’un concours bancaire au cours dusecond semestre de 2015. Le rapportmis à jour pourrait inclure des plansd’expansion de la mine de moindreenvergure que ceux proposés dansl’évaluation économique préliminairede 2012. Il aidera également la sociétéà obtenir un financement afin de rou-vrir et d’agrandir la mine d’Aránzazu. L’année dernière, la mine d’Aránzazu

a produit 14,6 millions de livres decuivre contenu. Les ressources mesuréeset indiquées de la mine se chiffrent àenviron 588,7 millions d’onces de

WIM décerne le prixTrailblazer 2015

Betty-Ann Heggie, première femmevice-présidente principale de Potash-Corp, est la lauréate du prix Trailblazerde cette année du Women in Mining(WIM) Canada.Mme Heggie, maintenant à la

retraite et intronisée au Temple de larenommée des 100 femmes les plusinfluentes au Canada, recevra officielle-ment le prix début mai à la Conventiondes prospecteurs et entrepreneurs àToronto.« J’ai été profondément touchée », a

déclaré Mme Heggie après l’annoncefaite par WIM Canada dans les nou-velles en janvier. « J’ai été très honoréequ’ils envisagent ma candidaturecomme un genre de chef. »Le prix Trailblazer a été établi par

WIM en 2013 pour rendre hommageaux « femmes qui ont pris des risquespersonnels dans leur carrière et qui ontcontribué à faire avancer la carrièred’autres femmes », selon l’organismesans but lucratif.D’après WIM Canada, les femmes

représentent seulement 11 % des nomi-

Betty-Ann Heggie, qui a remporté cette année leprix du pionnier décerné par WIM Canada, étaitla première femme à occuper le poste de vice-présidente directrice chez PotashCorp ; c’estelle qui a lancé en septembre 2009 leprogramme Betty-Ann Heggie Womentorship àl’université de la Saskatchewan.

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cuivre, à 10,3 millions d’onces d’argentet à 390 000 onces d’or. – Katelyn Spidle

La Colombie-Britanniqueannonce la création duMajor Mines PermittingOfficeDes autorisations d’exploitation

minière plus rapides se profilent enColombie-Britannique après la pro-messe faite par la première ministreChristy Clark d’injecter des fonds sup-plémentaires dans le budget de cetteannée afin de créer un nouveau bureauqui se consacre à l’octroi de permisd’exploitation minière. L’annonce a étéfaite lors du rassemblement sur l’explo-ration minérale (Mineral ExplorationRoundup) 2015 de l’Association forMineral Exploration de la Colombie-Britannique qui a eu lieu en janvier.Le porte-parole du ministère de

l’Énergie et des Mines, Jake Jacobs, adéclaré que les fonds particuliers desti-nés au bureau principal de permis d’ex-ploitation minière (Major MinesPermitting Office, MMPO) n’ont pasencore été alloués. Toutefois, le finance-ment de base du ministère sera aug-menté de 6 millions de dollars pourpasser à 17,1 millions de dollars. Lesnouveaux frais d’obtention de permispour les mines devraient apporter3 millions supplémentaires. Les sociétésd’exploration ne seront pas facturées.« Jusqu’à 10 nouvelles mines

devraient être exploitées au cours desprochaines années, et ces nouveauxfonds viseront à nous assurer que noussommes prêts à soutenir ces projets etrenforceront la sécurité de ce secteurimportant à mesure qu’il continue decroître », a déclaré Mme Clark dans uncommuniqué.Le MMPO devrait ouvrir ses portes

au printemps une fois que l’assembléelégislative de la Colombie-Britanniqueaura approuvé le budget, qui a étédévoilé en février.D’après M. Jacobs, le bureau visera à

améliorer la coordination entre les minis-tères pour que les décisions concernantles autorisations d’exploitation minièresoient prises plus efficacement. Des spé-

cialistes techniques des ministères perti-nents continueront d’examiner les nou-veaux projets miniers, mais les fondsadditionnels permettront au ministre del’Énergie et des Mines d’embaucherd’autres spécialistes techniques afind’étudier les demandes, réduisant ainsile délai d’attente. Le bureau de l’inspec-teur en chef des mines demeurera res-ponsable des inspections.« Le bureau de direction du MMPO

supervisera la gestion des ressources,des priorités et des enjeux d’une façonqui répond le mieux aux besoins parti-culiers du secteur minier », a soulignéM. Jacobs. « Le MMPO comprendrades gestionnaires et des directeurs deprojet possédant une connaissanceapprofondie du secteur minier. »Le nouveau bureau se concentrera

sur les « principales mines », que leministère définit comme des projets quifavorisent le processus d’évaluation envi-ronnementale (ÉE). Toute propositionexigeant la création d’un Comité d’exa-men minier (CEM) – un comité consul-tatif composé des trois niveaux degouvernement et des Premières Nations– est également considérée comme unprojet majeur, a souligné M. Jacobs.Les nouveaux frais d’obtention de

permis iront de 4 000 $ à 32 000 $pour l’exploitation des placers, des gra-vières et des carrières. Les frais d’ex-ploitation des mines de minerais et decharbon varieront entre 10 000 $ pour

une simple demande de permis et125 000 $ pour une demande com-plexe exigeant l’intervention d’un CEM.Karina Briño, présidente et chef de

la direction de la Mining Association ofBritish Columbia, a accueilli favorable-ment cette annonce. Elle a indiqué quenaviguer dans le système gouverne-mental peut s’avérer difficile pour lessociétés minières qui cherchent à obte-nir de nouveaux permis, car elles doi-vent souvent obtenir l’autorisation deplusieurs ministères différents.« Quatre ou cinq agences pour-

raient intervenir dans la prise de déci-sion », a déclaré Mme Briño. « Offrirun système à guichet unique permet-trait de fournir des précisions sur lafaçon de naviguer dans ce processus. » – S.F.

Le gouvernement desTerritoires du Nord-Ouestcrée un conseil minier

Le secteur minier des Territoires duNord-Ouest ralliera des partisans offi-ciels au printemps.Lors du rassemblement sur l’explora-

tion minérale (Mineral ExplorationRoundup) de l’Association for MineralExploration de la Colombie-Britanniquequi a eu lieu en janvier, le ministre del’Industrie, du Tourisme et de l’Investis-sement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest(T.-N.-O), David Ramsay, a annoncé lacréation d’un conseil consultatif de l’in-dustrie minière (Mining Industry Advisory Board) afin d’attirer des explo-rateurs, des investisseurs et des sociétésminières dans la région. D’après M. Ramsay, le conseil sera

composé de cinq à sept membres.Bien qu’il n’ait rien dit sur l’identité

des personnes qui siégeront au conseil,il a néanmoins précisé qu’il sera com-posé « d’intérêts diversifiés » allant dechefs de la direction de sociétésminières à des intervenants locaux enpassant par des Premières Nations. « Jesais ce que je recherche », a-t-il déclaré.« J’ai déjà quelques personnes en têteavec qui je communiquerai sous peu. »En 2014, le territoire a connu

une hausse de 32 % des dépenses

les actualités en bref

À l’occasion de la conférence Roundup 2015 (Tourd’horizon 2015) de l’AME BC, Christy Clark a annoncéle financement d’un nouveau bureau de délivrancedes permis d’exploitation des grandes mines, lequelsera chargé de coordonner les décisions prises par lesdivers ministères pour renforcer l’efficacité del’autorisation accordée pour exploiter une mine.

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d’exploration et d’évaluation des gise-ments, s’élevant à 103 M$. L’explora-tion et la mise en valeur des gisementsdiamantifères ont représenté près desdeux tiers de ces dépenses, d’aprèsRessources naturelles Canada. Le conseil sera chargé de maintenir

cet élan. « Nous [avons besoin] d’un climat

propice à l’investissement, ayant laréputation d’être une région minièredigne de confiance », a-t-il souligné,ajoutant que cela suppose d’adopterune « approche équilibrée favorisantun développement responsable etdurable. »L’objectif du conseil, selon M. Ram-

say, est de créer des lois afin de conti-nuer à miser sur les objectifs de lastratégie d’exploitation minérale de2013 des T.-N.-O. « Les résultats et les progrès obtenus

jusqu’à présent sont encourageants,mais nous avons impérativementbesoin de nous assurer de faire passerles bons messages en tant que terri-toire », a déclaré M. Ramsay.Le groupe consultatif tiendra sa pre-

mière assemblée en mai. – Andrew Seale

Léguer un héritage La Société de la métallurgie et des

matériaux (MetSoc) de l’ICM et laSociété des musées de sciences et tech-nologie du Canada ont lancé en févrierun nouveau plan pour démontrer l’im-portance de la métallurgie dans le déve-loppement du Canada. Les deuxorganismes consacrent 120 000 $ auprofit du Projet « Échos » sur l’histoirede la métallurgie et des mines auCanada, qui comprend la création d’unebanque de vidéos sur l’histoire oraleincluant des entrevues avec des chefs defile des secteurs de l’exploration, de l’ex-ploitation minière, de la métallurgie etdes matériaux. Les fonds seront égale-ment consacrés à la recherche sur lacontribution de la métallurgie au pro-grès du Canada, laquelle aidera leMusée des sciences et de la technologiedu Canada à rassembler une collectiond’artefacts intéressants du secteur de lamétallurgie. Les entrevues seront finale-ment archivées au musée à Ottawa et

pourront être visionnées sur son siteWeb. « Les secteurs de la métallurgie etdes mines sont les fondations sur les-quelles l’industrie et la société cana-diennes ont été bâties », a déclaré SamMarcuson, président du volet historiquede la métallurgie, MetSoc. Le projet, a-t-il ajouté, « profitera tant aux visiteursdu musée, environ 300 000 par année,

qu’aux utilisateurs du site Web – envi-ron 3,5 millions de visites par année. »Hatch, l’ICM, MetSoc et la Société cana-dienne du traitement des minerais ontversé 100 000 $ du budget total, enplus de dons privés s’élevant à 12 000 $.Les promoteurs du projet espèrentamasser 8 000 $ pour le mettre enmarche. – Peter Braul

Grand projet

Au cours de l’une des plus grandes expéditions jamais entreprises dans la pro-vince de la Saskatchewan, y compris un équipement de 10 mètres de diamètreet pesant 180 tonnes, Veolia Water Technologies a annoncé en février qu’elleavait livré sa technologie de cristallisation HPD (ci-dessus) à K+S PotashCanada pour son projet Legacy afin de purifier et de produire plus de deuxmillions de tonnes de chlorure de potassium par année à partir de potasseextraite par dissolution.

À l’occasion de la conférence de la Société canadienne du traitement des minerais (CMP) qui s’est tenue enjanvier à Ottawa, Jean Vavrek, directeur exécutif de l’ICM (au centre), a signé un protocole d’entente avec KevinFraser, directeur de la technologie des autoclaves chez Hatch (à gauche), et Fern Proulx, directeur général desopérations à la Société des musées de sciences et technologies du Canada (à droite), marquant ainsi le lancementdu projet « Échos » consacré à l’histoire de la métallurgie et des mines.

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Goldcorp fait l’acquisitionde Probe MinesGoldcorp, géant du secteur minier

établi à Vancouver, poursuit son expan-sion. La société a conclu une ententefinale le 27 janvier en vue d’acquérirProbe Mines, petite société minière établie à Toronto. Grâce à cette prise de contrôle ami-

cale, Goldcorp détient maintenant laconcession du projet aurifère Bordendans le nord de l’Ontario. À la fin duprintemps dernier, Probe a publié uneestimation des ressources minérales à jourrelativement au projet qui comprenait

une ressource indiquée souterraine de1,60 million d’onces d’or à 5,39 g d’or partonne en moyenne ainsi qu’une ressourceprésumée de 0,43 million d’onces à4,43 g d’or par tonne en moyenne à uneteneur de coupure de 2,5 g par tonne. La découverte de Borden faite en

2010 et les travaux subséquents menéssur le projet ont permis au président etchef de la direction de Probe, DavidPalmer, de remporter le prix Bill Den-nis 2015 de l’Association canadiennedes prospecteurs et entrepreneurs,lequel récompense une découverte deressources minérales ou une prospec-tion réussie au Canada.

Selon un communiqué publié le 19janvier, M. Palmer est convaincu quel’expertise financière et technique deGoldcorp contribuera à faire progresserle projet aurifère Borden. « Cetteacquisition représente non seulementune validation pour le projet et savaleur, mais également l’occasion pourles actionnaires de participer au succèsfutur avec l’un des producteurs auri-fères les plus respectés du secteur,Goldcorp, ainsi qu’avec une équipe deprospecteurs expérimentés et dévouésau sein de New Probe », a déclaré M.Palmer. « Nous sommes reconnaissantsenvers nos actionnaires pour leur

les actualités en bref

de la soirée. C’était la quatorzièmefois qu’il jouait ce rôle.Peter M.D. Bradshaw, Ronald K.

Netolitzky, Mackenzie Iles Watson etIan Telfer ont été honorés pour leursréalisations, lesquelles ont été pré-sentées dans des vidéos indivi-duelles comprenant des témoignagesde collègues.Chaque personne intronisée a pro-

noncé un discours de quatre minutesen allant chercher son prix. « J’aime-rais que mon ancien directeur d’écolesoit ici ce soir », a lancé M. Bradshaw.« Il n’aurait jamais cru que j’abouti-rais ici! »M. Vavrek a expliqué que si la

cérémonie se déroule au Royal York,ce n’est pas pour rien : l’hôtel a étéconstruit par le Chemin de fer Cana-dien Pacifique, entreprise qui acontribué de nombreuses façons àl’essor du secteur minier.La cérémonie d’intronisation 2015

s’est déroulée grâce à l’appui deGoldcorp, commanditaire diamant,ainsi que de Barrick, Franco-Nevada,IBK Capital Corp., SNC-Lavalin etYamana Gold, commanditaires platines. – K.S.

Ian Telfer, Peter Bradshaw, Ron Netolitzky et Mackenzie Watson (de gauche à droite) ont été intronisés auTemple de la renommée du secteur minier canadien en janvier.

Salle comble à la cérémonie d’intronisation au Temple de la renommée du secteur minier

Keith

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Quatre personnalités marquantesdu secteur minier ont fait leur entréeau Temple de la renommée du secteurminier canadien (TRSMC) à l’occasionde la 27e édition du dîner et de la céré-monie d’intronisation annuelle duTRSMC, qui a eu lieu en janvier à l’hô-tel Fairmont Royal York de Toronto.Plus de 800 personnes ont parti-

cipé à cet événement annuel. Comme

c’est le cas depuis des années, tous lesbillets ont trouvé preneur, souligneJean Vavrek, directeur exécutif del’ICM. « C’est le plus important évé-nement qui se déroule chaque annéedans le secteur minier », explique-t-il.Pierre Lassonde, président du

conseil d’administration de Franco-Nevada et lui-même intronisé auTRSMC, a été le maître de cérémonie


appui et leur fidélité et nous nousréjouissons d’entreprendre la pro-chaine phase ensemble. »Les actionnaires de Probe recevront

une participation dans une nouvellesociété d’exploration appelée New Probe.Cette nouvelle société, qui sera formée enpartenariat avec Goldcorp, conserveral’actuel chef de la direction, l’actuelconseil d’administration et l’actuelleéquipe de gestion de Probe. Les action-naires de Probe devraient se réunir pour

approuver l’opération avant la fin du pre-mier trimestre de 2015. – K.S.

Les faits en main L’industrie minière a reçu son rap-

port annuel. En février, l’Associationminière du Canada (AMC) a publié sonrapport Faits et chiffres de l’industrieminière 2014, fondé sur les données de2013 fournies par le gouvernementfédéral.

Au cours de la dernière décennie, leCanada a été la principale destinationau chapitre de l’exploration. Toutefois,les investissements dans ce domaine ontchuté de 41 % pour s’établir à 2,3 G$ en2013, faisant passer le Canada à ladeuxième place après l’Australie. Lerapport révèle que la récente baisse descours mondiaux des produits de base, lemanque d’infrastructures dans le Nord,et un processus réglementaire compli-qué sont à l’origine du déclin observél’an dernier.Heureusement, les conclusions de

l’AMC indiquent également que l’indus-trie est essentielle à l’économie cana-dienne en termes de contributions auPIB national et de possibilités d’emploi.« Pour s’adapter à la faiblesse des

prix de certains produits de base, etpour composer avec les coûts d’exploi-tation élevés et une économie mon-diale encore incertaine, il est plusimportant que jamais que le gouverne-ment reste concentré sur l’élargisse-ment du réseau commercial canadienet sur l’amélioration de la compétitivitéglobale du pays à titre de destinationpour l’élaboration de nouveaux projetsminiers au moyen d’investissementsstratégiques et de politiques efficaces »,a déclaré le président et chef de ladirection de l’AMC, Pierre Gratton.

54 G$ Contribution de l’industrieminière au PIB du Canada

380 000 Nombre de Canadienstravaillant dans l’industrieminière

68 000 Nombre d’emplois miniers enOntario seulement

3 400 Nombre d’entreprisescanadiennes fournissant desbiens et des services àl’industrie minière

41 % Pourcentage représentant labaisse des investissements enexploration au Canada

2e Plus importante destination surle plan des dépensesd’exploration à l’échellemondiale

19,6 % Pourcentage des exportationscanadiennes totales del’industrie minière*

* Tous les chiffres datent de 2013 – K.S.

Un juste équilibre entre le travail et la détente à la Conférence annuelle des Minérallurgistes du Canada 2015

En janvier, l’hôtel Westin d’Ottawagrouillait d’activité à l’occasion de laConférence annuelle des Minérallur-gistes du Canada. Plus de 520 délé-gués originaires de 13 paysréunissaient les meilleurs experts dusecteur du traitement du minerai del’industrie minière. Mais cet événe-ment qui s’est déroulé sur trois jours aégalement fourni d’excellentes occa-sions de réseautage. Les étudiantsreprésentaient une partie importantedes participants et en ont profité pourdévelopper un réseau de contactsintéressants dans le secteur et absor-ber des connaissances. « Je n’étais passûre de vouloir me diriger vers le trai-tement du minerai, mais cette confé-rence m’a permis de réaliser que c’estvraiment ce que je veux faire avecmon diplôme », a expliqué SharayahRead, étudiante en génie chimique àCambrian College, à Sudbury.Qu’il s’agisse d’étudiants ou

d’autres participants, il n’y avait pasuniquement des connaissances àacquérir. Les participants quiœuvrent dans le domaine du traite-ment du minerai sont particulière-ment doués pour équilibrer le travailavec la détente, et ils ont prouvéqu’ils en étaient capables en organi-sant le premier concours d’autopor-traits du congrès, lancé durant le galade remise des prix. Vous pouvezconsulter le nom des lauréats en

cherchant #cmp2015 sur Instagram,et vous pourrez constater que lesdélégués ont fait un travail formi-dable pour cacher ce qu’ils buvaient.Le programme technique intensif detrois jours comprenait également unmatch de hockey avec l’équipe Westcontre l’équipe East, du patinage surle canal Rideau tôt le matin par – 20°C (un seul participant coura-geux) ainsi que d’autres bonnes occa-sions de dépenser de l’énergie. Pourobtenir un exemplaire des travaux ducongrès, veuillez communiquer avecJanice Zinck à [email protected]. – P.B.

• Prix •

MINÉRALLURGISTE DE L’ANNÉE : Robert Rotzinger

PRIX D’EXCELLENCE POUR L’ENSEMBLE DE SES RÉALISATIONS : René Del Villar

PRIX DU BÉNÉVOLAT RAY MACDONALD :Raymond MacDonald

ANCIEN PRÉSIDENT : Pierre Julien

MEILLEURE PRÉSENTATION : Rodrigo Araya

PRIX DU CONCOURS DES RAPPORTSTECHNIQUES DES ÉTUDIANTS :Kristie Peloquin, Graham Cross

BOURSE D’ÉTUDES COMMÉMORATIVEANDRÉ LAPLANTE : Michele Tuchscherer

BOURSE D’ÉTUDES COMMÉMORATIVE :William Yin

CONFRÉRIE DE L’ICM : Donald Leroux, Ian Orford

SOUS HAUTE TENSION

Les sociétés minières doivent jongler avec la variabilité des prix et une vaste gamme

d'options pour se procurer l'électricité nécessaireà la poursuite de leurs activités

Par Chris Windeyer

Photos gracieuseté de NASA

Le prix de l'électricité constituegénéralement le second facteur decoût le plus lourd qui incombeaux sociétés minières. Seuls lescoûts de main-d'œuvre sont plusélevés. Selon les données deRessources naturelles Canada,sur le territoire canadienseulement, les dépensesénergétiques des sociétésminières (si l'on exclut cellesexploitant des mines de charbon)s'élevaient à 2,4 milliards $ en2012, dépenses qui se chiffraientà 2,2 milliards $ en 2011 encomptant les sociétés exploitant lecharbon.

« Si vous vous trouvez dans le nord du Québec et avez

accès au réseau hydroélectrique, rien ne battra les tarifs pro-

posés par Hydro-Québec », indique Steve Letwin, président

et chef de la direction de la société Iamgold basée à Toronto,

laquelle est propriétaire de mines au Québec, au Suriname,

au Mali et au Burkina Faso. M. Letwin indique que le coût de

l'électricité au Québec est de 0,035 $/kilowattheure (kWh),

alors qu'en Afrique, où les mines ne sont pas raccordées au

réseau électrique, Iamgold dépend du diesel et du mazout

lourd dont le coût peut atteindre les 0,3 $/kWh.

La baisse récente du prix du pétrole a fait chuter les coûts

de l'énergie hors réseau à environ 0,21 $/kWh, ce qui, selon

M. Letwin, se traduit par une économie des coûts décaissés

de l'ordre de 200 $ par once. À la mine Essakane d'Iamgold,

dans le nord-est du Burkina Faso, les coûts d'exploitation

s'élèvent actuellement à quelque 1 000 $ par once. D'après M.

Letwin, si l'on diminuait de moitié le coût de l'électricité de la

mine, les coûts décaissés par once seraient ramenés à environ

800 $, ce qui aurait à peu près le même impact que d'extraire

un minerai dont la teneur est deux fois plus élevée. « Nous

produisons 400 000 onces, aussi cela équivaut à un flux de

trésorerie de 80 millions $ », indique-t-il. « C'est un calcul

approximatif, mais qui vous montre bien la corrélation entre

ces variables. L'électricité a une incidence énorme sur l'éco-

nomie d'une mine. »

Personne ne sait si M. Letwin et les autres dirigeants de

sociétés minières verront un jour un changement et auront

accès à des réseaux électriques fiables, ni à quel moment.

« L'expansion des infrastructures de transport de l'électricité

dans les pays en développement dépend principalement de la

volonté de soutenir la croissance économique et de l'instau-

ration de conditions favorables à l'investissement dans des

domaines et industries stratégiques ; cependant, le moment

idéal et les moteurs de ces changements

varieront », explique Georges

Arbache, vice-président

du cabinet KPMG

d'infrastructures

mondiales de Toronto. «

Un grand nombre de grosses

sociétés chinoises ont, par exemple,

réalisé des investissements importants en

Afrique, et il se peut que pour soutenir leurs activités, elles

doivent envisager une entreprise commune avec des entre-

prises locales de distribution de l'électricité du pays confron-

tées à des difficultés financières afin de stabiliser l'alimentation

électrique et les infrastructures de transport de l'électricité

dont elles ont besoin pour bien fonctionner. »



Lorsque l'on envisage un projet, au moment des évalua-tions préliminaires, il est important de trouver un juste équi-libre en ce qui concerne le prix de l'électricité, en tenantcompte de facteurs tels que les risques politiques, la géologieet le coût de la main-d'œuvre, explique John Mullally, direc-teur des affaires générales de la société Goldcorp basée à Van-couver. Il cite l'exemple de l'Ontario, où les risques politiquessont faibles et se présentent surtout sous la forme de lourdes

normes réglementaires, de retards dans l'octroi des per-mis ainsi que de coûts relativement élevés de la

main-d'œuvre et de l'électricité par rapportaux normes nord-américaines, coûts qui

devraient encore augmenter. « Noussommes disposés à assumer les

coûts dans les pays où ils sontplus élevés », indique-t-il.

Goldcorp dirige quatremines en exploitation auCanada, dont trois sontsituées en Ontario etrequièrent un total de70 mégawatts (MW)pour fonctionner.On ne dispose pasencore des chiffrespour la nouvellemine Éléonore au Québec, qui acoulé son pre-mier lingot d'oren octobre der-nier. Globalement,toutes les minesde Goldcorp sontraccordées au ré-seau, sauf la mine àciel ouvert Peñasquito,

au Mexique, qui fonc-tionne au diesel.Le Mexique est l'une

des régions où les infra-structures électriques, de

même que les règlements quiles régissent, évoluent rapide-

ment, souligne M. Arbache. « LeMexique a récemment annoncé son

intention de mener d'importantes réformestouchant l'intégralité de son secteur de l'éner-

gie, car il est aux prises avec un énorme déficit auniveau, entre autres facteurs, de l'offre en matière de pro-

duction d'électricité. Pour les sociétés minières, […] il serabien plus simple d'obtenir un accès à des sources d'énergiede substitution et renouvelables qui offrent une électricitéde meilleure qualité. Le prix de l'électricité devrait consi-dérablement augmenter au Mexique au cours des 20 pro-chaines années en raison de la nécessité d'investir dans leraccordement au réseau électrique et dans l'offre en matièrede production d'électricité, aussi les énergies renouvelables

0

US$/MWh

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

États-Unis Canada* Finlande**

Mexique Pologne Turquie Chili

*Données non disponibles pour 2011**Données non disponibles pour 2006 Source: OCDE

Entre 2006 et 2011, les prix de l'électricitépour les industriels ont varié de 290 %

dans sept pays de l'OCDE dont le secteur minier est important.

offrent essentiellement une protection contre les haussesde tarifs. »

Les réformes envisagées par le Mexique devraient entrer envigueur d'ici la fin de l'année ou au début de l'année pro-chaine, aussi des combinaisons plus attrayantes entre l'élec-tricité du réseau et celle provenant de sources renouvelablesdevraient bientôt être offertes aux sociétés minières qui ontl'intention d'ouvrir leurs portes.

Des questions entre les mains dessociétés minières

Goldcorp a encore recours au diesel comme carburantd'appoint dans toutes ses mines, mais M. Mullally expliquequ'elle essaie de réduire sa consommation. Le tarif de l'élec-tricité à des fins industrielles en Ontario a beau se maintenirà 0,09 $/kWh, cela revient toujours moins cher que le diesel.De plus en plus, explique M. Mullally, Goldcorp a recours augaz naturel pour chauffer ses bâtiments. « Le prix y est certai-nement pour quelque chose, de même que l'offre. Il y a eu unafflux énorme [de gaz] dans la province. »

C'est aussi la raison pour laquelle « on a beaucoup investidans la conservation et la gestion de la demande », déclare M.Mullally. « Il est toujours plus facile de conserver l'énergie etde réduire notre empreinte énergétique. » Ainsi, nous avonsadopté des techniques telles que le fonctionnement discontinudu broyeur au lieu de le laisser constamment en marche, lefonctionnement intermittent des concasseurs, et l'utilisationde capteurs pour gérer l'aérage de la mine. « L'aérage contri-bue en grande partie aux coûts énergétiques d'une mine ;essentiellement, il consiste à envoyer de l'air vers le fond dela mine et à le faire circuler pour maintenir les taux de parti-cules et d'émissions relativement bas. »

Cependant, le fait d'être relié au réseau ne garantit pas l'ac-cès à une alimentation électrique stable, souligne GeorgeDavies, conseiller principal chez Hatch et ancien sous-ministreà l'énergie en Ontario. Selon lui, les améliorations continuesapportées au réseau dans le nord de la Saskatchewan consti-tuent une réponse aux problèmes de fiabilité qui touchent lesmines d'uranium de la région, lesquelles connaissent plusieurspannes chaque année. Ces pannes impliquent de recourir àune source d'alimentation de secours et augmentent les coûts.

Dans de nombreux pays en développement, le raccorde-ment au réseau est tout simplement trop risqué. Selon G.Davies, Barrick a autrefois refusé l'offre de la Tanzanie consis-tant à partager les frais de raccordement des sociétés minièresau réseau du fournisseur national d'électricité car la sociétén'avait pas confiance en la fiabilité du réseau. « La société adû choisir entre un arrangement avec le gouvernement pourque le réseau soit étendu jusqu'à sa mine ou l'investissementdans son propre mode d'alimentation électrique », expliqueM. Davies. « C'est une situation classique dans de nombreuxpays en développement. Le manque de confiance dans la qua-lité de la gestion des services publics est tel que pour des rai-sons de sécurité, la société minière doit prendre la décisiond'investir dans sa propre infrastructure de production d'élec-tricité, ce qui engendre une hausse considérable des coûts. »

« Le service d'électricité d'avenir »Les sociétés minières non raccordées au réseau électrique

envisagent progressivement l'adoption des énergies renouve-lables pour lutter contre le coût de l'électricité, mais les minesraccordées au réseau peuvent aussi y avoir recours. Selon G.Arbache de KPMG, un système qui parvient à incorporer unevariété de sources d'énergie potentielles est ce que son entre-prise qualifie de « service d'électricité d'avenir. »

Une étude réalisée en 2014 par l'Agence internationale pourles énergies renouvelables a révélé que le coût moyen actualiséde l'énergie solaire photovoltaïque a chuté de moitié entre 2010et 2014, bien qu'il varie encore grandement entre 0,07 $ et 0,40$/kWh. Le coût de l'énergie éolienne terrestre fait maintenantconcurrence à celui de la production de combustibles fossiles,et est parfois même moins élevé. Cependant, le rapport indiqueaussi que « les facteurs de coûts et de capacité à l'installationpour l'énergie renouvelable dépendent énormément de la tech-nologie et du site ». On sait par exemple que les ressourceséoliennes sont capricieuses en fonction du lieu où elles sont ins-tallées, et que les coûts peuvent varier considérablement demoins de 0,03 $/kWh à plus de 0,30 $/kWh.

D'après M. Letwin d'Iamgold, c'est le coût de l'énergie quia poussé sa société à installer des panneaux solaires d'unecapacité de 5 MW sur le site de sa mine Rosebel au Suriname,même si, d'après la Banque interaméricaine de développe-ment, les tarifs du réseau électrique du Suriname sont relati-vement bas, à savoir de l'ordre de 0,05 $/kWh. Cependant,les frais d'électricité pour des industriels tels que la sociétéIamgold sont régis par une série de contrats d'achat d'électri-cité qui, dans le cas de la mine Rosebel, avoisinent les 0,14$/kWh. La centrale solaire d'Iamgold, inaugurée en août l'an-née dernière, produit actuellement 1,1 MW d'énergie, et l'élec-tricité inutilisée par la mine sert à alimenter le réseau nationaldu Suriname. Pour un coût d'investissement de 11 millions$, les panneaux solaires devraient permettre à Iamgold d'éco-nomiser environ 1 million $ par an.

D'après John Mathews, professeur à la MacQuarrie Gra-duate School of Management de Sydney, en Australie, etauteur de l'ouvrage The Greening of Capitalism, les sociétésminières n'adoptant pas les énergies renouvelables, dont lescoûts baissent rapidement, risquent de se retrouver à la traîne.Il cite en exemple la Chine et le Chili.

Comme l'écrivait M. Mathews dans Energy Post, un siteInternet et bulletin d'information indépendant orienté surl'énergie, le Chili a des projets d'énergie renouvelable envisa-gés ou en cours de réalisation équivalant à plus de 18 000MW, ce qui permettra au pays de doubler, voire plus, sa pro-duction d'électricité totale actuelle. Une centrale solaire de110 MW équipée d'un système de stockage à sels fondus pour


On ne peut pas déplacer une mine.

Le gisement ne changera pas de place.– Brendan Marshall


fournir une électricité constante, ainsi qu'un parc éolien de115 MW sont en cours de réalisation pour alimenter des pro-jets de mines de cuivre dans le complexe Antofagasta au norddu Chili.

Selon un rapport établi par KPMG en 2014, ce sont lesprix de l'électricité au Chili, depuis toujours élevés par rap-port à ses voisins (environ 0,25 $ US/kWh,) qui l'ont poussédans cette voie. Le secteur minier est le plus importantconsommateur d'énergie du Chili, et il engloutit 85 % del'électricité produite dans le nord du pays, principalement àpartir du gaz naturel.

Selon M. Mathews, le Chili a bénéficié des efforts considé-rables déployés par la Chine pour développer l'énergie renou-velable. Pour cette dernière, il s'agissait initialement d'unmoyen de lutter contre sa situation catastrophique en matièrede pollution atmosphérique, mais cela a, à terme, eu pour effetde faire baisser les coûts unitaires partout. Le Chili a simple-ment tiré parti de cet avantage, certains prix ayant atteint unniveau aussi bas que 0,08 $ US/kWh.

« L'exemple du Chili est clair pour tout le monde », déclareM. Mathews. « Le frein à l'adoption des sources d'énergierenouvelables dans l'industrie minière résulte d'un conserva-tisme technique et d'un manque d'imagination quant à l'utili-sation d'une source d'énergie de substitution aux combustiblesfossiles classiques. »

Le pétrole bon marché reste unesolution attrayante

M. Letwin affirme toutefois que ce n'est pas le « conserva-tisme technique » qui met un frein au déploiement des éner-gies renouvelables, mais plutôt le simple calcul lié aux prixdu pétrole. « Quand le prix du baril de pétrole dépasse les

100 $ US, on commence à se tourner vers d'autres sourcesd'énergie comme le solaire et à réaliser qu'il pourrait être senséd'effectuer d'importants investissements en capitaux dans cettesolution si la durée de vie de la mine est assez longue pour lasoutenir », indique-t-il. « Pour que l'énergie solaire soit ren-table, la mine doit avoir une durée de vie de 20 ans, lorsquele prix du baril est de 100 $ US. S'il est de 50 $ US, la duréede vie de la mine devra être plus longue afin que l'on puisserécupérer son argent. Les calculs deviennent beaucoup pluscomplexes. »

Selon Brendan Marshall, directeur des affaires économiquesà l'Association minière du Canada (AMC), l'une des difficultéspour les sociétés minières en activité au Canada réside dans l'em-placement du gisement par rapport aux sources d'énergie renou-velables accessibles. « On ne peut pas déplacer une mine »,explique-t-il. « Le gisement ne changera pas de place. Labaisse des coûts de la technologie est très utile, mais il fautbien faire la différence entre la concurrence au niveau des prixdes technologies et leur déploiement pour les besoins de l'ex-ploitation minière. »

Même si votre mine est située dans une région ensoleilléeou ventée, il ne faut pas oublier les nuits, les journées nua-geuses et celles sans vent. Cela signifie que vous aurez toujoursbesoin de diesel, de mazout lourd ou de gaz naturel commesource d'énergie de secours. Pour l'instant, le stockage surplace d'un grand volume d'énergie renouvelable est beaucouptrop complexe et onéreux. En avril 2014, le New York Timesindiquait que le stockage de 1 kWh dans une batterie clas-sique pourrait coûter des centaines de dollars. Cependant,explique M. Letwin, la personne qui parviendra à résoudre leproblème du stockage aura entre les mains une technologierévolutionnaire comparable à celle du moteur à combustioninterne. « Croyez-moi, ce sera un véritable bouleversement àl'échelle mondiale. » ICM

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Depuis 2000, le prix de l'électricité pour les industriels a augmenté dans tous les pays de l'OCDE. Voici une comparaison des prix

dans sept pays au secteur minier important.

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à Kirkland Lake, en Ontario. Un système de treuils mod-ernisés, de nouveaux équipements mobiles souterrains àbatterie et un broyeur principal remis à neuf comprenantun nouveau broyeur à boulets de 4,5 m sur 6 m (15 pi sur20 pi), en plus des trois broyeurs Allis Chalmers existants,ont aidé à faire grimper la capacité de 1 400 à 2 200 tonnesanglaises par jour, à un taux de récupération de 96 %. Lebut visé était de produire 200 000 onces par an. L’effectif aaugmenté en même temps, atteignant 1 250 travailleurs fin2013, comparativement à 200 employés il y a cinq ans.Comme beaucoup d’autres sociétés minières le faisaientalors, Kirkland Lake se préparait à traiter des tonnes deminerai.

« Il y a deux ou trois ans, Kirkland Lake avait une ca-pitalisation boursière de 1,5 milliard $ », rappelle l’actuelchef de la direction, George Ogilvie. Comme bon nombrede sociétés aurifères, Kirkland Lake a tiré parti du coursélevé de l’or pour abaisser sa teneur de coupure.

Les fluctuations brusques du cours de l’or ont affectétoutes les sociétés aurifères. Quand les prix ontdépassé 1 800 $ US l’once, il y a à peine deux ans et

demi, beaucoup de sociétés ont multiplié les investisse-ments pour développer leurs activités et profiter de cettehausse historique. Mais quand les cours ont ensuiteplongé jusqu’à leurs niveaux plus récents – sous les1 300 $ US l’once – bon nombre de ces mêmes sociétésont découvert que l’expansion récente de leurs activitésn’était plus rentable. Kirkland Lake Gold est une de cessociétés. Le redressement qu’elle a réalisé au cours de ladernière année est un cas d’école sur la réévaluation deshypothèses de base d’une analyse de rentabilité et sur laréussite de l’implantation d’un changement profond deculture sur le terrain.

Pendant le boom du cours de l’or, Kirkland Lake a réuniprès de 100 millions $ pour les investir dans les infrastruc-tures de sa mine Macassa et de son complexe South Mine

Kirkland Lake Gold se remet sur piedMalmenés par la chute des cours de l’or, les exploitants d’une mine du nord de l’Ontario

en activité depuis plusieurs décennies mettent l’accent sur la réduction des résidus miniers

et l’optimisation des teneurs pour retrouver des bases solides.

Par Ian Ewing

Les filons étroits à teneur élevée du complexe minier Macassa sont exploités depuis 1993. Aujourd'hui, la qualité du minerai importe plus que sa quantité.

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COMMENT RENFLOUER UN NAVIRE ENTRAIN DE COULER

Les inquiétudes de M. Ogilvie concernant le niveau desoutien qu’il recevrait de la haute direction, la même quesous le régime précédent, se sont rapidement dissipées.L’équipe était déterminée à apporter des changements. Enfait, les dirigeants avaient formulé de nombreuses recom-mandations identiques à celles que M. Ogilvie allait met-tre en œuvre par la suite. Parmi ces changements, lapriorité absolue était de relever la teneur de tête, ce quisignifiait qu’il fallait réduire la dilution externe.

Quand George Ogilvie est entré en fonction, l’extrac-tion du minerai inframarginal allait de soi, nous expliqueSuzette Ramcharan, porte-parole de Kirkland Lake. Pireencore, d’autres matières à faible teneur, y compris desrésidus miniers, se frayaient un chemin jusqu’à la che-minée à minerai. Que cet état de choses soit attribuable àla culture d’entreprise, au fait que le système de primesaux employés était fondé sur le tonnage (système britan-nique) et le forage, ou à une combinaison de ces deuxfacteurs, la présence de résidus miniers dans la cheminéeabaissait la teneur de tête et réduisait la productivité. Ladirection a réagi rapidement, au moyen d’une méthodeéprouvée que M. Ogilvie avait acquise en Afrique du Sud.Les superviseurs ont placé des rondelles de métal,estampillées d’un numéro de série et de la date, dans lespiles de résidus miniers de la mine. À l’entrée du broyeur,des aimants captaient les rondelles, indiquant ainsi le lieud’origine des résidus miniers, le moment où ils avaientété orientés vers la cheminée et donc l’identité du mineurresponsable. Six semaines plus tard, il n’y avait plus derésidus miniers à l’entrée de la cheminée. De novembre2013 à janvier 2014, la teneur de tête a bondi de 0,29 à0,43 once par tonne anglaise, une amélioration de prèsde 50 %.

En janvier 2014, la société a été contrainte de licencier75 postes. Au cours de l’année, l’attrition a occasionné ledépart de 160 autres employés, qui n’ont pas été rem-placés. La perte nette de ces 235 employés, soit environ20 % de l’effectif total, n’a pas nui à la production.

Cepend ant, certaines compétences supplémentairesétaient nécessaires. « Ce gisement est très difficile àanalyser », selon M. Ogilvie, en raison des filons étroits deminerai à teneur élevée. « On peut croire qu’on extrait laveine ou le minerai, mais en réalité, on peut aussi bien setrouver dans la paroi. Il faut surveiller l’extraction avec leplus grand soin. » On a donc embauché davantage de géo-logues miniers pour s’assurer de pouvoir inspecter toutesles parois rocheuses à chaque quart de travail. Grâce à ceteffectif supplémentaire, le nombre d’échantillons de rocheprélevés a augmenté de 30 % ; les géologues tracent deslignes sur les parois souterraines pour indiquer auxmineurs où continuer l’extraction afin de demeurer dansles filons à teneur élevée.

Le laboratoire d’analyse de la mine a aussi bénéficiéd’une hausse des effectifs pour disposer de personnel jouret nuit. Auparavant, le laboratoire fermait la nuit et la fin

La société s’est mise à exploiter des gisements plus mar-ginaux, à l’extérieur des filons à teneur élevée qui carac-térisent le corps aurifère de Macassa.

Puis le cours de l’or a commencé à plonger. « Du coup,le traitement à la tonne anglaise au détriment de la teneurn’allait plus être rentable à partir du moment où le coursde l’once d’or est descendu sous la barre des 1 500 à1 600 $ US », explique M. Ogilvie. Cependant, commeKirkland Lake a investi massivement pour augmenter sacapacité, elle a tenté de maintenir le cap. La société aaggravé ses problèmes croissants en se fixant des objectifscommerciaux qu’elle était incapable d’atteindre. « Elle fai-sait de belles promesses sans livrer la marchandise, ce quia aussi eu une incidence sur le cours de l’action », pour-suit M. Ogilvie. En plus de la baisse de prix de la matièrepremière, la société a vu sa capitalisation boursière s’effon-drer jusqu’à un plancher de 150 millions $ il y a un an,suscitant des changements majeurs à la mine.

M. Ogilvie a été placé aux commandes en novem-bre 2013 par Harry Dobson, alors président du conseil deKirkland Lake. M. Dobson venait de Rambler Metals, àTerre-Neuve-et-Labrador, où il était également présidentdu conseil. M. Ogilvie a obtenu la confiance de M. Dob-son à la fois grâce à son expérience dans les mines d’orultra-profondes d’Afrique du Sud – un environnementtechnique semblable à celui de Macassa – et à sa capacitéà faire passer Rambler au stade de la production au milieude la crise financière mondiale, au cours d’une périodeparticulièrement difficile pour l’industrie minière.

« Quand j’ai accepté ce poste, je m’étais déjà fait à l’idéeque pour rendre la mine et la société rentables, nousdevions essayer de nouveau de rapprocher nos activitésd’extraction de la teneur de réserve », se souvientM. Ogilvie. « C’est cela, l’aspect qui distingue KirklandLake d’à peu près 99 % des autres mines d’or du monde :la teneur de réserve. Quelle que soit la tendance du coursde l’or, un principe fondamental de nos activités est d’ex-traire constamment du minerai à la teneur de réserve ouprès de celle-ci. »

En fait, pendant les années 1990, quand la mineappartenait à Barrick, puis à Kinross, elle produisaitrégulièrement plus de 18 grammes par tonne anglaise.Selon ses dires, M. Ogilvie croyait qu’un retour à cettephilosophie pourrait être la planche de salut de cetteexploitation à la dérive. En extrayant du minerai à lateneur de réserve actuelle (alors estimée à 17 grammespar tonne anglaise), la société devrait avoir la capacité dedemeurer rentable même dans un contexte rendu difficilepar le cours de l’or. Dans l’éventualité d’une forte remon-tée des prix, la société serait en mesure de produire unemarge nettement plus élevée et de générer un flux de tré-sorerie disponible très rapidement.

Toutefois, changer les façons de faire dans l’ensemblede la société ne serait pas facile. « Comment fait-on pourtransformer une culture axée sur le tonnage et la quantitéet pour amener les gens à se soucier plutôt de la teneur etde la qualité ? », s’est demandé M. Ogilvie.

M A C A S S A E T S O U T H M I N E | profil de projet

de semaine, de sorte qu’une analyse pouvait être retardéede 48 heures. Comme l’accent était mis désormais sur lateneur, toute incertitude sur la qualité du minerai devenaitinacceptable. Le laboratoire d’analyse traite maintenant leséchantillons dans un délai de huit à douze heures. « Lesemployés du quart suivant savent ex actement ce qui con-stitue des minerais ou des résidus miniers, et où acheminer le tout », explique M. Ogilvie.

Un autre facteur important pour la reprise de la société(une reprise évidente au vu d’une capitalisation boursièrequi s’approchait récemment de près de 340 millions $) aété d’élever la teneur de coupure de 0,18 à 0,22 once partonne anglaise. En réduisant la quantité de minerai mar-ginal extrait, la société économise des coûts de main-


REDRESSEMENT d’œuvre, d’équipement et de traitement. La mine ne traiteplus que 1 100 tonnes anglaises sur une capacité de2 200 tonnes par jour, mais grâce à l’augmentation de lateneur en or et à la baisse des coûts de main-d’œuvre, lasociété est de nouveau rentable et dispose de flux de tré-sorerie, ce qui constitue un pas dans la bonne direction.

L’exploitation du broyeur à la moitié de sa capacitécomporte toutefois sa part d’inefficacité, admetMme Ramcharan, en raison des frais fixes associés au faitde « garder les lumières allumées », pour ainsi dire. Aucours de l’été, la mine a été en mesure d’exploiter lebroyeur en alternant cinq jours d’activité et deux joursd’arrêt et en accumulant les matériaux pendant la fin desemaine pour les traiter la semaine suivante. « Mais enhiver, on ne veut pas débrancher le broyeur, par craintedu gel », poursuit Mme Ramcharan. « Alors noussommes revenus à sept jours sur sept pour l’hiver, ce quinous empêche de profiter de certaines économies de coûtparce que nous ne fonctionnons pas à pleine capacité. »Des activités d’exploration supplémentaires pourraientdéboucher sur la découverte d’autres cibles à hauteteneur susceptibles d’aider à augmenter la production,mais il s’agit là d’un plan à plus long terme. Pour lemoment, l’accent est mis sur la gestion des changementsactuels.

UNE MINE, CE N’EST PAS QUE DESMACHINES ET UN BROYEUR

Ces changements ont donné à la société la capacitétechnique de se rapprocher de nouveau de la teneur deréserve qu’elle souhaitait, mais le changement de culturene s’est pas limité à mieux informer les employés et à lesempêcher de profiter du système.

CAPITALISATION BOURSIÈRE AURIFÈRE DE KIRKLAND LAKE

31 octobre 2013 19 février 2015

255 $ 345 $ millions millions

PRIX DE L’OR ($/oz.)

1 324 $ US 1 206 $ US 1 268 $ CA 1 510 $ CA

34 %BAISSE DU POURCENTAGE DES COÛTS DÉCAISSÉS

PAR ONCE PRODUITE

T2 2015 (CLOS LE 31 OCTOBRE 2014)

C T2 2014 (CLOS LE 31 OCTOBRE 2013)

En accordant plus d'importance à la qualité du minerai, on n'exploite que la moitié de la capacité du broyeur, qui s'élève à 2 200 tonnes anglaises par jour

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Après neuf mois passés à évaluer la mine, M. Ogilvie etson nouveau vice-président de l’exploitation, Chris Stewart,ont demandé à un conseiller de dispenser une formationsur le leadership. Ray Bushfield, de Laidy and Ray Consult-ing, a été embauché pour aider à améliorer les compétencesen leadership, en gestion et en communication des cadressupérieurs et intermédiaires et des superviseurs de pre-mière ligne. Au cours de la croissance de l’effectif de lasociété de 200 à 1 250 employés, la plupart n’avaient jamaisreçu de formation sur les compétences nécessaires pourexercer leurs nouvelles fonctions, qui comportaient desresponsabilités beaucoup plus importantes. Les cadres etles superviseurs ont enfin pu apprendre à communiqueravec leurs employés, à leur offrir une rétroaction et, aubesoin, à les conseiller sur des sujets délicats comme lemanque de productivité ou l’absentéisme.

Tout récemment, dans un geste qui reflète les pratiquesen vigueur à l’exploitation à haute teneur de Goldcorp à RedLake, la structure des primes à Kirkland Lake a fait l’objetd’un examen approfondi ayant pour but de mettre l’accentsur le nombre d’onces produites plutôt que sur le forage etle tonnage (système britannique). La nouvelle structure deprimes, qui prend en compte la sécurité et les coûts en plusde la productivité, s’harmonisera mieux avec l’objectifinterne de la société qui est d’extraire des onces de qualité.

Dans l’intervalle, l’effectif est en constante évolutionalors que la direction tente de trouver le « point idéal » oùles coûts sont réduits le plus possible sans affecter la pro-duction. La productivité est remontée au niveau moyen his-torique de la mine, une tonne anglaise par jour partravailleur, après avoir chuté à un certain moment à moinsde 0,9 tonne anglaise par travailleur. M. Ogilvie est cepen-dant d’avis que la mine est en mesure de produire de 1 200à 1 250 tonnes anglaises par jour avec son effectif actuel de1 015 employés. Il espère atteindre ce seuil d’ici la fin del’exercice financier de la société, en avril.

Mme Ramcharan souligne que Kirkland Lake a budgétéses coûts pour l’exercice 2015 sur la base d’un cours de l’orà 1 350 $. « Nous croyons être en mesure de soutenir unseuil de rentabilité d’environ 1 000 $ l’once » en prenantd’autres mesures de réduction des coûts, ajoute-t-elle.Comme, pour le moment, les prix dépassent ce seuil d’unemarge confortable, la société semble être en bonne posture.La hausse graduelle du cours de son action et le retour à larentabilité qu’elle a réalisé aux deux derniers trimestres enfont foi. « Le fait que le cours de l’or a varié de plus de500 $ l’once ne garantit pas à lui seul l’avenir de cettemine », insiste Mme Ramcharan.

Bénéficiant d’un des gisements miniers possédant la plusforte teneur au monde, Kirkland Lake a toujours eu la capac-ité de sortir gagnante. En mettant désormais l’accent sur larentabilité plutôt que sur la production pure et simple, lasociété est en bonne voie pour concrétiser de nouveau sonpotentiel. Pour les 10 000 résidents de la ville de KirklandLake et ceux des collectivités environnantes qui dépendentde la mine en tant que moteur de l’économie, c’est lameilleure nouvelle qu’ils aient eue depuis longtemps. ICM


EXPLOITATION MINIÈREALIMENTÉE PAR BATTERIE

Le complexe minier Macassa and South Mine est àl’avant-garde de la technologie en matière d’exploitationminière et est doté de certains des équipements les plusrécents et uniques de l’industrie. Confrontée aux limites deventilation qui l’empêchaient d’accroître son parc d’appa-reils au diesel souterrains, Kirkland Lake a été l’une despremières sociétés à utiliser des véhicules électriques. Untout nouveau parc composé de 12 chargeurs-transpor-teurs et de trois tombereaux de chantier, fabriqués parRDH Mining Equipment, qui fonctionnent à l’aide de bat-teries lithium-ion phosphate de fer longue durée(LiFePO4) et qui n’émettent aucune émission.

Cet équipement procure la souplesse que les machineset les chariots électriques ancrés n’offrent pas. Les char-geurs-transporteurs outillés de godets de trois vergescubes, utilisent des batteries d’une capacité de 100 kilo-watts (134 ch), alors que les tombereaux de chantier de 20 tonnes ont une capacité de 165 kW (221 ch). Ces deuxensembles de batteries ont des composants communs etutilisent le même logiciel et les mêmes contrôles, minimi-sant les stocks des pièces de rechange, selon George Ogil-vie, chef de la direction de la société.

Naturellement, la gestion des batteries exige de la coor-dination, étant donné qu’elles doivent être rechargéesdeux fois par quart de travail. Afin d’éviter toute interrup-tion de travail, une batterie doit toujours être en mode derecharge, une autre en mode de refroidissement et uneautre sur l’appareil.

La société utilise toujours des chargeurs-transporteursau diesel, mais elle continuera à l’avenir de remplacer lesvéhicules fonctionnant au diesel par la technologie ali-mentée par batterie. ICM

M A C A S S A E T S O U T H M I N E | profil de projet

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New Afton mine goes for gold with ISO 50001Gold miners know value — and not just of precious minerals. At New Gold, energy efficiency also offers value, both economic and social. The company’s mining operations in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Chile and Australia all adhere to high environ-mental standards. In March 2014, it was the first in North America to be certified for energy management under the ISO 50001 stan-dard. Continuing to qualify for the certification means the oper-ation goes through a detailed audit each year – meaning that it is very publicly committed to the goal of energy conservation.

“The mining industry has been focused on energy efficiency and environmental improvement for quite some time,” says An-drew Cooper, energy specialist at New Afton, noting the Mining Association of Canada’s Towards Sustainable Mining protocol en-courages companies to improve environmental performance in all areas. “The ISO 50001 is a new way of looking at it.”

Cooper says ISO 50001 certification goes beyond a project-based focus by embedding energy management into the “culture and sys-tems of the company.”

“No matter how good your system is, if the people aren’t on board and aware of the system, everything falls apart,” he says.

Cooper started at New Afton in 2011, and the company imple-mented a comprehensive energy management information system, or EMIS, in 2012.

BC Hydro supported the effort, providing incentive funding for analysis, energy improvements and Cooper’s position, something he believes other companies should take advantage of. “The fund-ing to allow someone to be onsite full-time to focus on energy man-agement is a huge benefit,” he says.

“It all starts with your vision and your mission and your energy policy,” he says. “Your energy policy outlines what you want to achieve in terms of energy management. The policy is a starting point of everything.”

With support from Natural Resources Canada, New Afton put in place a monitoring and measurement system, and then worked towards the ISO 50001 certification. That re-quired an energy review assessing energy sources, past energy use, and the variables that affect energy use. The review also sets up usage baselines, determines how energy use will be forecast moving forward, and outlines how energy performance and improvement projects will be assessed.

Cooper says New Afton has four components that utilize more than 75 per cent of the mine’s energy: grinding, crushing and conveying, ventilation and mobile equipment.

“Our big focus is on those four significant energy uses because small improvements there account for big savings overall,” he says. “The focus of ISO is on these significant energy uses and improving efficiency in those particular areas.”

The mine has just completed a “ventilation on demand” project, which is projected to save 7.8 gigawatt hours of power annually. Since the mine is an underground operation, good ventilation is crucial. However, converting to an on demand system has enabled New Afton to use only power for ventilation when it is needed. It will also reduce electricity cost by an estimated $300,000 annually.

There are other benefits associated with on-demand systems. Decreasing how often mechanical systems are turned on – and how long they run for – can reduce wear and tear and maintenance requirements, creating financial savings and potential safety rewards for employees. The working environment also becomes friendlier, because it isn’t as noisy.

“There hasn’t been one project we’ve implemented to date which has just had an energy efficiency benefit,” says Cooper. “Every single project we do has spin off benefits apart from energy efficiency benefits, which really do help the operation be more efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly.”

There are also public relations benefits. Although the company’s New Afton mine is the only one with the ISO 50001 energy management standard, Cooper says, “All our mines are ISO 14001 certified with environmental standards. The company commitment to so-cial responsibility and the environment is evident in that.”

Cooper says New Gold couldn’t have done it alone. Assistance from BC Hydro and Nat-ural Resources Canada helped throughout, starting with consulting services of Toron-to-based LCG Energy Management and Prism Engineering from Vancouver.

Tait Kisby, BC Hydro Key Account Manager, says there are strong reasons for other mining operations to consider following New Afton’s lead in pursuing energy con-servation.

“It’s a challenging time right now in the mining industry as commodity prices go up and down,” he acknowledges. “Part of remaining competitive is to cut costs wherever pos-sible, and energy is a huge part of that equation.”

Kisby adds staying competitive is a way for mines to live up to their obligations to their employees; in many communities, mines are primary employers. Managing to run efficiently can mean the difference between a vibrant town and one where people have to leave to find work.

SAVING ENERGY IS SMART BUSINESS. For more information visit bchydro.com/industrial

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New Dimensions | Nouvelles dimensions

CONVENTION.CIM.ORG

Preliminary Expo! guide

Guide préliminaire de l’Expo!

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Welcome to ~ Bienvenue à

Spring is just around the corner, bringing about new growthand new opportunity! Set to take advantage of these excitingdevelopments are more than 450 exhibiting companies thatwill gather to showcase their wears under one roof, thePalais des Congrès de Montréal.

Suppliers, contractors and vendors alike will be welcomingvisitors to this international city, renowned for its Frenchflair, where the savoir vivre will only be surpassed by theirwillingness to share new information, product knowledgeand service offerings.

The 2015 Expo! boasts two provincial pavilions, fourinternational pavilions, a Rock Mechanics pavilion andproduct demos from the Planetary & Terrestrial MiningSciences Symposium.

Opportunities abound at the Expo! – Canada’s miningmarketplace!

Le printemps est à nos portes, apportant avec lui de nouvellespossibilités de croissance et l’envie d’explorer de nouveauxhorizons ! Les quelque 450 entreprises qui convergeront versle Palais des congrès de Montréal pour présenter leursproduits et services dans le cadre de l’Expo! 2015 profiterontassurément de ce climat propice à des développementsprometteurs.

Des fournisseurs, des entrepreneurs et des représentantsaccueilleront les visiteurs dans cette ville internationalerenommée pour son esprit français. Leur hospitalité n’aurad’égal que leur empressement à communiquer aux visiteursde l’information nouvelle, leur connaissance des produits etleur offre de services.

L’Expo! 2015 comptera deux pavillons provinciaux, quatrepavillons internationaux, un pavillon sur la mécanique desroches ainsi que des démonstrations de produit dans le cadredu symposium sur les sciences minières planétaires etterrestres.

Bref, il y a plus d’une occasion à saisir à l’Expo!, le carrefourdes affaires de l’ICM!

Nadia BakkaTrade Show & Marketing Coordinator

Coordinatrice du congrès et marketing

Martin BellExhibitions Sales Manager Directeur des ventes et salons commerciaux

CONVENTION.CIM.ORG86 | CIM Magazine | Vol. 10, No. 2

BOOTH 10253D Laser MappingBingham Nottingham, NGMGreat BritainT.: 44-194-9838-0043dlasermapping.com

BOOTH 22213GSM GmbHGraz, AustriaT.: 43-316-464744-03gsm.at

BOOTH 13153MLondon, ON, CanadaT.: 519-451-25003M.ca/mining

BOOTH 122648e Nord InternationalRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-762-492348inter.com

BOOTH 3112ABAQ Inc.Ste-Thérèse, QC, CanadaT.: 450-979-0697boreholeplugs.com

BOOTH 1421ABC Canada Technology Group Ltd.Saskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-653-4303abccanada.ca

BOOTH 2904ABEL PumpsSewickley, PA, USAT.: 412-741-3222abelpumps.com

BOOTH 1824Acme Specialty Mfg. Co.Toledo, OH, USAT.: 419-243-8109 acmespecialty.com

BOOTH 2421ACR Group Inc.Nisku, AB, CanadaT.: 780-955-2802acrgroup.ca

BOOTH 1223Adelard Soucy (1975) Inc./ Soucy IndustrielRivière-du-Loup, QC, CanadaT.: 418-862-2355adelardsoucy.com

BOOTH 1615Aecon MiningFort McMurray, AB, CanadaT.: 780-791-5477aecon.com

BOOTH 620AFM IndustriesOshawa, ON, CanadaT.: 905-443-0150afmindustries.com

BOOTH 3005Agilent TechnologiesWilmington, DE, USAT.: 302-636-1702agilent.com

BOOTH JF05Agnico EagleToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-847-8669agnicoeagle.com

BOOTH 203Alerton International, LLCWestbury, NY, USAT.: 844-253-7866alertoninternational.com

BOOTH 1021Allied Construction Products LLCCleveland, OH, USAT.: 216-431-2600AlliedCP.com

BOOTH 526ALLU Group, Inc.Teterboro, NJ, USAT.: 201-288-2236allu.net

BOOTH 2307Altra Industrial MotionBraintree, MA, USAT.: 781-971-0600altramotion.com

BOOTH 1111AMECVancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-664-4315amec.com/mining

BOOTH 2324Anchor DanlyWindsor, ON, CanadaT.: 519-966-4031anchordanly.com

BOOTH 827ANDRITZRichmond, BC, CanadaT.: 604-214-9248andritz.com

BOOTH 2005AquatechMaple, ON, CanadaT.: 905-907-1700AquatechDewatering.com

BOOTH 718Armour ValveToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-299-0780armourvalve.com

BOOTH 304ArmtecSt-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC,CanadaT.: 450-346-4481armtec.com

BOOTH 3105ASDR EnvironnementMalartic, QC, CanadaT.: 819-757-3039asdr.ca

BOOTH 2326ASGCOAllentown, PA, USAT.: 610-821-0216asgco.com

BOOTH 2707ASSA ABLOYPeachtree City, GA, USAT.: 678-782-4777assaabloyentrance.com

BOOTH 1300Atlantic Industries LimitedDorchester, NB, CanadaT.: 506-379-2456ailmining.com

BOOTH 2017Atlas Copco Mining and RockExcavation CanadaMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 705-669-2940atlascopco.com

BOOTH 1921AusencoVancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-684-9311ausenco.com

BOOTH 925Austin PowderSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-688-8314austinpowder.com

BOOTH 3016Autonomous Solutions, Inc.Mendon, UT, USAT.: 435-755-2980asirobots.com

BOOTH 1325Axter ColetancheMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-903-1912coletanche.com

BOOTH 1423B.I.D. Canada Ltd.Woodstock, NB, CanadaT.: 506-328-4381bidcanadaltd.com

BOOTH 308Baldor Electric Co.Fort Smith, AR, USAT.: 479-646-4711baldor.com

BOOTH 408Barr / RocheMinneapolis, MN, USAT.: 952-832-2600barr.com

BOOTH 1709BASF CorporationBeachwood, OH, USAT.: 705-474-1625master-builders-solutions.basf.us

BOOTH 904BBAMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 450-866-2111bba.ca

BOOTH 2604Becker VarisSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-674-8111 beckerwms.com

BOOTH 2203Beijing Joint-UnionExhibitionBeijing, Haidian, ChinaT.: 86-10-88111462beijingjointunion.itrademarket.com

BOOTH 2026BEUMER Kansas City LLCKansas City, MO, USAT.: 816-245-7262beumergroup.com

BOOTH 815BKTToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 780-888-5667bkt-tires.com

EXHIBITORS LISTING | LISTE DES EXPOSANTS


BOOTH 417Blair Rubber CompanySeville, OH, USAT.: 330-256-4442blairrubber.com

BOOTH 2404BlueScope Global Building SolutionsKansas City, MO, USAT.: 905-464-0161bluescopebuildings.com

BOOTH 2405BrandtRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-791-7562brandt.ca

BOOTH 1409Breaker Technology Ltd.Thornbury, ON, CanadaT.: 519-599-2015rockbreaker.com

BOOTH 500Brevini Canada Ltd.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-674-2591brevini.com

BOOTH 1614Bridgestone Americas Tire OperationsNashville, TN, USAT.: 615-937-3626bridgestone-firestone.com

BOOTH 2527Britespan Building SystemsLucknow, ON, CanadaT.: 519-528-2922britespanbuildings.com

BOOTH 505Brook Crompton Ltd.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-675-3844 brookcromptonna.com

BOOTH JF03BrunelMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-396-7890brunelcanada.ca

BOOTH 520BUSINESS FranceMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-670-3977ubifrance.com

BOOTH 400Cab ProductsEbensburg, PA, USAT.: 814-472-5077cabproducts.com

BOOTH JF07Cameco CorporationSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-956-6215cameco.com

BOOTH 1514Canada North EnvironmentalLimited PartnershipSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-652-4432cannorth.com

BOOTH 614Canadian Association ofMining Equipment & ServiceMarkham, ON, CanadaT.: 905-513-0046 camese.org

BOOTH 514Canadian Mining Journal(CMJ)Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-510-6981canadianminingjournal.com

BOOTH 1925CanamBoucherville, QC, CanadaT.: 450-641-4000canam-construction.com

BOOTH 301Carlo Gavazzi Canada Inc.Mississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-542-0979GavazziOnline.com

BOOTH 1908Carlson SoftwareMaysville, KY, USAT.: 606-564-5028 carlsonsw.com

BOOTH 411Cavotec Canada Inc.Markham, ON, CanadaT.: 905-415-2233 cavotec.com

BOOTH 621CBCL Limited ConsultingEngineersSydney, NS, CanadaT.: 902-539-1330cbcl.ca

BOOTH 2202CCPIT Machinery Sub-CouncilBeijing, ChinaT.: 86-10-68595539chinamachine.org.cn

BOOTH 1126Cementation Canada Inc.North Bay, ON, CanadaT.: 705-472-3381cementation.com

BOOTH 1720Centre for Excellence inMining Innovation (CEMI)Sudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-673-6568miningexcellence.ca

BOOTH 1125Chemline Plastics LimitedThornhill, ON, CanadaT.: 800-930-2436chemline.com

BOOTH 1915CIM MagazineWestmount, QC, CanadaT.: 514-939-2710magazine.cim.org

BOOTH 2415CIM Vancouver 2016 SalesOffice Westmount, QC, CanadaT.: 514-939-2710cim.org

BOOTH 1619CK LogisticsSt-Laurent, QC, CanadaT.: 514-856-7580cklogistics.ca

BOOTH 3100CKR GlobalCalgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-262-4545ckrglobal.com

BOOTH 2121CLGToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-721-9320clg.com

BOOTH 1515Clifton Associates Ltd.Regina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-721-7611clifton.ca

BOOTH 1621COGEPQuebec, QC, CanadaT.: 418-626-2503cogep.com

BOOTH 1101Columbia Steel Casting Co. Inc.Portland, OR, USAT.: 800-547-9471columbiasteel.com

BOOTH 1424Conspec Controls Ltd.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-661-0500conspec.ca

BOOTH 1522Contango Strategies Ltd.Saskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-978-3111contangostrategies.com

BOOTH 510Continental Conveyor Ltd.Thetford Mines, QC, CanadaT.: 418-338-4682continentalconveyor.ca

BOOTH 2715Control System CA, Inc.Timmins, ON, CanadaT.: 705-262-6152controlsystem.ca

BOOTH 2104Corix Water ProductsLondon, ON, CanadaT.: 888-866-8485corix.com

BOOTH 2224CR Mining EquipmentFrisco, TX, USAT.: 469-400-2314cqmsrazer.com

BOOTH 1405Cummins Inc.Pointe-Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-695-8410easterncanada.cummins.com

BOOTH 1724CWA Engineers Inc.Vancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-637-2275cwaengineers.com

BOOTH 2314Cypher Environmental Ltd.Winnipeg, MB, CanadaT.: 204-489-1214cypherenvironmental.com

BOOTH 905Dassault Systemes Canada Software Inc.Vancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-684-6550geovia.com

BOOTH 1119Datamine SoftwareSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-688-0101cae.com/mining

BOOTH 2423Davey BickfordSalt Lake City, UT, USAT.: 801-562-3045daveybickford.com

CONVENTION.CIM.ORG March/April • Mars/Avril 2015 | 89

BOOTH 2107Davidson GroupAjax, ON, CanadaT.: 905-683-8986jsdavidson.ca

BOOTH 710De Beers Group ServicesJohannesburg, GT, South AfricaT.: 27-11-374-7333debtech.com

BOOTH 2022DELSAN-A.I.M.Environmental Services Inc.Montreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-494-9898delsan-aim.com

BOOTH 2719Deswik Canada Inc.Calgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-700-7344deswik.com

BOOTH JF04Detour GoldToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-304-0800detourgold.com

BOOTH 1219Developpement Economique d’AmosAmos, QC, CanadaT.: 819-218-0122ville.amos.qc.ca

BOOTH 2216DGI GeoscienceToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-361-3191dgigeoscience.com

BOOTH 1521Diversified Construction & MaintenanceStony Beach, SK, CanadaT.: 306-345-2090dcm4hire.com

BOOTH 2115DMC Mining ServicesVaughan, ON, CanadaT.: 905-780-1980dmcmining.com

BOOTH 2901DMK Inc.Stevens Point, WI, USAT.: 715-344-8600dmkInc.com

BOOTH 3010DoppelmayrSaint-Jérôme, QC, CanadaT.: 450-432-1128doppelmayr-mts.com

BOOTH 2822DRA TaggartToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-800-8797DRAglobal.com

BOOTH 1805DSI Mining CanadaSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-244-6244dsigroundsupport.com

BOOTH 929Dumas Contracting Ltd.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-594-2525dumasmining.com

BOOTH 3106Duratray International Pty LtdMelbourne, VIC, AustraliaT.: 61-3-8761 2800duratray.com

BOOTH 824DUX Machinery CorporationRepentigny, QC, CanadaT.: 450-581-8341duxmachinery.com


BOOTH 1520Dyna IndustrialRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-359-7088dynaindustrial.com

BOOTH 1221DynamikRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-762-6200dynamik.com

BOOTH 1224Dynamitage Castonguay LteeVal d’Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-825-4095castonguay.ca

BOOTH 1501Dyno Nobel CanadaSalt Lake City, UT, USAT.: 801-328-6477dynonobel.com

BOOTH 1209EBC-Northec-DBFBrossard, QC, CanadaT.: 450-444-9333ebcInc.com

BOOTH 605Eirich Machines Inc.Gurnee, IL, USAT.: 847-336-2444eirichusa.com

BOOTH 523Electro-Sensors Inc.Minnetonka, MN, USAT.: 952-930-0100electro-sensors.com

BOOTH 1400EmersonRound Rock, TX, CanadaT.: 512-832-3180EmersonCanada.ca

BOOTH 1923Endress+HauserBurlington, ON, CanadaT.: 905-681-4359ca.endress.com

BOOTH 1122Enduride Canada USAQuebec, QC, CanadaT.: 418-266-7777enduridecanadausa.com

BOOTH 2402Engart Global DustExtraction TechnologyBeckley, WV, USAT.: 304-253-0777engartInc.com

BOOTH 2215Engineering SeismologyGroup Canada Inc. (ESG)Kingston, ON, CanadaT.: 613-548-8287esgsolutions.com

BOOTH 618ERMVancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-689-9460erm.com

BOOTH 1227Euclid ChemicalSt-Hubert, QC, CanadaT.: 514-208-4346euclidchemical.com

BOOTH 1826Everest Automation Inc.Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC,CanadaT.: 514-630-9290 everest-automation.com

BOOTH 1900F.F.P. Systems Inc.Mississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-270-9872ffpsystems.com

BOOTH 2024Filterfab/NFMTrois-Rivières, QC, CanadaT.: 819-691-4104 filterfab.ca

BOOTH 1204Flairbase Inc.Montreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-695-0352flairbase.com

BOOTH 1618Flanders Electric MotorServiceEvansville, IN, USAT.: 307-258-4172flandersInc.com

BOOTH 2606Fleming CollegeLindsay, ON, CanadaT.: 705-324-9144flemingcollege.ca

BOOTH 3107FLEXARMORLa Guadeloupe, QC, CanadaT.: 418-459-3553flexarmor.ca

BOOTH 2526FlexcoDowners Grove, IL, USAT.: 630-971-0150flexco.com

BOOTH 1701FLSmidthMidvale, UT, USAT.: 801-871-7000flsmidth.com

BOOTH 1625Fournier IndustriesThetford Mines, QC, CanadaT.: 418-423-4241fournierindustries.com

BOOTH 402Friesen DrillersSteinbach, MB, CanadaT.: 204-326-2485friesendrillers.com

BOOTH 1801Fuller Industrial Corp.Lively, ON, CanadaT.: 705-682-2777fullerindustrial.com

BOOTH 823FWS Group of CompaniesWinnipeg, MB, CanadaT.: 204-487-2500fwsgroup.com

BOOTH 1129G+ Industrial PlasticsEvain, QC, CanadaT.: 819-768-8888plastiquesgplus.com

BOOTH 420Galaxy BroadbandCommunications Inc.Mississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 877-463-9728galaxybroadband.ca

BOOTH 415Garier Inc.Mirabel, QC, CanadaT.: 450-437-7852garier.ca

BOOTH 1904GE MiningMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-858-5448ge.com/mining

BOOTH 2923GEA Westfalia SeparatorNorthvale, NJ, USAT.: 201-767-3900wsus.com

BOOTH 819General CableBrampton, ON, CanadaT.: 905-494-5327generalcable.com

BOOTH 508General KinematicsCrystal Lake, IL, USAT.: 815-455-3222generalkinematics.com

BOOTH 2229Geobrugg GeohazardSolutionsKelowna, BC, CanadaT.: 250-470-3644geobrugg.com/en/sectors/mining

BOOTH 1329GeoSight Inc.Oshawa, ON, CanadaT.: 905-436-6528geosight.ca

BOOTH 2820GeoSonics/Vibra-TechHazleton, PA, USAT.: 570-455-5861geosonicsvibratech.com

BOOTH 3124GeovariancesAVON CEDEX, FranceT.: 33 -1-6074-9090geovariances.com

BOOTH 501GIW Industries Inc.Grovetown, GA, USAT.: 706-863-1011giwindustries.com

BOOTH 2119GKM Consultants, Inc.St-Bruno, QC, CanadaT.: 450-441-5444gkmconsultants.com

BOOTH 1907Gladiator Equipment Inc.Leduc, AB, CanadaT.: 780-980-7555gladiatorequipment.com

BOOTH JF11Global Mining Standards and Guidelines GroupWestmount, QC, CanadaT.: 514-984-8775globalminingstandards.org

BOOTH JF09GoldcorpToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-363-1445goldcorp.com

BOOTH 1408Golder Associates Ltd.Vancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-296-4213golder.com


BOOTH 1517Government ofSaskatchewanRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-787-5578saskatchewan.ca/invest

BOOTH 1309Graham Industrial ServicesEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-430-9600graham.ca

BOOTH 425Greatario EngineeredStorage SystemsInnerkip, ON, CanadaT.: 519-469-8169greatario.com

BOOTH 2322Grindex PumpsTinley Park, IL, USAT.: 708-781-2135grindex.com

BOOTH 1729Grote Industries, Co.Markham, ON, CanadaT.: 905-209-9744grote.com

BOOTH 1215Groupe Castech-PlessitechThetford-Mines, QC, CanadaT.: 613-521-2345castechInc.com

BOOTH 2920Groupe GilbertChicoutimi, QC, CanadaT.: 800-263-7705groupegilbert.com

BOOTH 2905H2Flow Equipment Inc.Concord, ON, CanadaT.: 905-660-9775h2flow.com

BOOTH 901HARD-LINEDowling, ON, CanadaT.: 705-855-1310hard-line.com

BOOTH 3108Haulmax (Aust) Pty Ltd.Wynyard, TAS, AustraliaT.: 61-3-6442-7777haulmax.com

BOOTH 516Hayward Gordon ULCHalton Hills, ON, CanadaT.: 905-693-8595haywardgordon.com

BOOTH 705Hein Lehmann Canada Inc.Vancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-879-3804heinlehmann.ca

BOOTH 1920Hella Mining CanadaPeachtree City, GA, USAT.: 404-386-8756hellamining.com

BOOTH 916Hepburn Engineering Inc.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-638-4425hepeng.com

BOOTH 207Herrenknecht Tunnelling Systems Canada Inc.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-231-2555herrenknecht.com

BOOTH 1001Hewitt Equipement LimiteePointe Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-630-3254hewitt.ca

BOOTH 423High Strength Plates and Profiles Inc.Lively, Ontario, CanadaT.: 705-692-4477highstrengthplates.com

BOOTH 1808Honeywell Process SolutionsLondon, ON, CanadaT.: 519-679-6570honeywellprocess.com

CONVENTION.CIM.ORG

SHARE YOUR STATE OF MINE Join the global CIM Conventiononline community!

#CIMTL15

New Dimensions


BOOTH 700Horne GroupShanty Bay, ON, CanadaT.: 705-487-3007horne-group.com

BOOTH 2222Hoskin ScientificMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-735-5267hoskin.ca

BOOTH 404HUESKER Inc.Charlotte, NC, USAT.: 800-942-9418huesker.com/usa

BOOTH 300Hydra-Tech InternationalCorporationCalgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-720-7742hydra-tech.net

BOOTH 3103IDS North America Ltd.Montreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-789-0082idscorporation.com/na

BOOTH 1320IMAFS Inc.St-Lambert, QC, CanadaT.: 450-671-1831imafs.com

BOOTH 1401Imperial Oil Ltd.Calgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-727-9158mobil.ca

BOOTH 1922INC.O Engineering s.r.o.Mequon, WI, USAT.: 414-690-6540inc.oengineering.cz

BOOTH 1115Independent MiningConsultants Inc.Tucson, AZ, USAT.: 520-294-9861imctucson.com

BOOTH 3109Indotech Industrial GarageDoors Inc.Boucherville, QC, CanadaT.: 450 641 8222indotech.ca

BOOTH 3020Industrial ArchitectureAlliance Inc.Montreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-871-2121iaadirect.ca

BOOTH 1027Industrial Fabrication Inc.Lively, ON, CanadaT.: 705-523-1621minecat.com

BOOTH 2320Industrial Info ResourcesSugar Land, TX, USAT.: 713-783-5147industrialinfo.com

BOOTH 2100InfoMine Inc.Vancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-683-2037infomine.com

BOOTH 1211InnovExplo Inc.Val-d’Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-874-0447innovexplo.com

BOOTH 608IntersystemsOmaha, NE, USAT.: 402-917-4314intersystems.net

BOOTH 3101Iracore International MNHibbing, MN, USAT.: 218-263-8831iracore.com

BOOTH 1427ISAAC InstrumentsChambly, QC, CanadaT.: 450-658-7520isaac.ca

BOOTH 2522ISCO Canada Inc.Louisville, KY, USAT.: 514-266-9900isco-pipe.com

BOOTH 2220Itasca Consulting Group, Inc.Minneapolis, MN, USAT.: 612-371-4711itascacg.com

BOOTH 3121ITW Polymers Adhesives,North AmericaDanvers, MA, USAT.: 855-489-7262devcon.com

BOOTH 2910Jannatec TechnologiesSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-566-3939jannatec.com

BOOTH 1809Jebco IndustriesBarrie, ON, CanadaT.: 705-797-8888jebcoindustries.com

BOOTH 825Jetco Heavy Duty LightingEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-732-4277jetcolighting.com

BOOTH 528Joest Inc.Glen Ellyn, IL, USAT.: 630-469-0900joest-us.com

BOOTH 616John Brooks CompanyLimitedEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 877-624-5757johnbrooks.ca

BOOTH 920Johnson Industries Ltd.Delta, BC, CanadaT.: 604-940-4555jbrakes.com

BOOTH 915Joy GlobalCalgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-291-2230joyglobal.com

BOOTH 1222K.N. EquipementsRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-4919knInc.ca

BOOTH 709Kal TireVernon, BC, CanadaT.: 250-542-2366kaltiremining.com

BOOTH 1924Kalenborn AbresistCorporationUrbana, IN, USAT.: 514-426-0460kalenborn.de

BOOTH 309Kemetco Research Inc.Richmond, BC, CanadaT.: 604-273-3600kemetco.com

BOOTH 1927Key MaintenanceTechnologiesEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-437-7659kmt1.ca

BOOTH 2911KGO Group Ltd.Oakville, ON, CanadaT.: 905-847-1544kgogroup.com

BOOTH 3102King Shotcrete SolutionsBurlington, ON, CanadaT.: 905-639-2993kingshotcrete.com

BOOTH 2813Kobelt Manufacturing Co.Ltd.Surrey, BC, CanadaT.: 604-572-3935kobelt.com

BOOTH 3125Kontek Process WaterManagementBurlington, ON, CanadaT.: 905-332-8366KontekEcology.com

BOOTH 1105Krupp Canada Inc.Calgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-209-4431krupp.ca

BOOTH 1229L. Fournier & Fils Inc.Val-d’Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-825-4000fournier-fils.com

BOOTH 2020Lafarge Canada, Inc.Mississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-738-7626lafarge-na.com

BOOTH 2709Laser Distance Spectrometry Ltd.Petah Tikva, IsraelT.: 613-276-5595laser-distance-spectrometry.com

BOOTH 2117Layfield EnvironmentalSystemsEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-732-5825layfieldenvironmental.com

BOOTH 801Ledcor Group of CompaniesEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-485-8339ledcor.com

BOOTH 1524Legacy Building SolutionsSouth Haven, MN, USAT.: 320-258-0500LegacyBuildingSolutions.com


BOOTH 1716Leica Geosystems Inc.Tucson, AZ, USAT.: 520-495-1524mining.leica-geosystems.com

BOOTH 1207Les chaussures STCAnjou, QC, CanadaT.: 888-686-1286stcfootwear.com

BOOTH 1205Les Forages L.B.M. Inc.Victoriaville, QC, CanadaT.: 819-758-7883lesforageslbm.com

BOOTH 725Les Industries Permo Inc.Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, QC,CanadaT.: 450-464-5466permodome.com

BOOTH 714Levert Personnel ResourcesInc.Sudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-525-8367levert.ca

BOOTH 2001Liebherr-Canada Ltd.Burlington, ON, CanadaT.: 289-259-9046liebherr.ca

BOOTH 2124Line Power Mfg. Corp.Bristol, VA, USAT.: 276-645-8825linepower.com

BOOTH 3021Logic Supply, Inc.South Burlington, VT, USAT.: 802-861-2300logicsupply.com

BOOTH 1005Luff Industries Ltd.Rocky View (Calgary), AB,CanadaT.: 888-349-5833luffindustries.com

BOOTH 521Lumnisave Industrial LEDTechnologies Ltd.Prince George, BC, CanadaT.: 250-563-7283lumisave.com

BOOTH 509LYNN Co Ltd.Thetford Mines, QC, CanadaT.: 418-338-4501lynnco.ca

BOOTH 527M.G.M. Electric Motors NorthAmerica Inc.Vaudreuil, QC, CanadaT.: 514-355-4343mgmelectricmotors.com

BOOTH 1225M2S Electronique Ltee.Quebec, QC, CanadaT.: 418-842-1312m2s.ca

BOOTH 2717MabarexSaint-Laurent, QC, CanadaT.: 514-334-6721mabarex.com

BOOTH 625Maccaferri Canada Ltd.Cambridge, ON, CanadaT.: 519-623-9990maccaferri.ca

BOOTH 1201Machines RogerInternational Inc.Val-d’Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-825-4657machines-roger.ca

BOOTH 1117MacLean Engineering &Marketing Co. LimitedSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-670-8014macleanengineering.com

BOOTH 1926Mammoet Canada WestEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-485-8568mammoet.com

BOOTH 307MAN Diesel & Turbo Canada Ltd.Oakville, ON, CanadaT.: 289-835-1063mandieselturbo.ca

> Mining Safety Research

> Occupational Health and Safety Technology

> Mine Rescue

> Safety Management Systems

> Case Studies on Mining Disasters

> Diesel Emission Reduction

> Ergonomics

> Communication Technology

> Regulatory Approaches to Mining Health and Safety

> Technology and Management of Change

Topi

cs > New Approaches to Track Leading and Lagging Indicators

> Intrinsically Safety Design

> Ground Control/Rock Mechanics Instrumentation forEarly Warning Systems

> Personal Protective Equipment Innovations

> Hazard Identifi cation Methodology

> Occupational Health Hazards Underground

> Leadership in Mining Safety

> Contractor Safety

In Collaboration With

SAVE THE DATEOCTOBER 25-27, 2015SUDBURY, CANADA

MARK CUTIFANIHonorary Chair

Chief ExecutiveAnglo American

THE 36TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF SAFETY IN MINES RESEARCH INSTITUTESTHE FUTURE OF MINING SAFETY RESEARCH

UPDATES AND DETAILS

ICSMRI.CIM.ORG

ABSTRACTS ACCEPTEDUNTIL JUNE 1


BOOTH 1214Manufacture AdriaRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-5881adria-mfg.ca

BOOTH 2009MaptekLakewood, CO, USAT.: 303-763-4919maptek.com

BOOTH 2303Martin Engineering USANeponset, IL, USAT.: 309-852-2384martin-eng.com

BOOTH 2808Matrix Design GroupLexington, KY, USAT.: 859-967-1711MatrixTeam.com

BOOTH 1526McLanahan CorporationHollidaysburg, PA, USAT.: 814-695-9807mclanahan.com

BOOTH 2318McLellan Industries Inc.Hanford, CA, USAT.: 559-537-7670mclellanindustries.com

BOOTH 1206MecanicadRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-2009mecanicad.ca

BOOTH 1601MeglabVal-d’Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-824-7710meglab.ca

BOOTH 701MetsoCanonsburg, PA, USAT.: 412-269-5298metso.com

BOOTH 1009Michelin North America Inc.Greenville, SC, USAT.: 864-458-5178michelinearthmover.com

BOOTH 525MiHR COUNCIL - CONSEILRHiMKanata, ON, CanadaT.: 613-270-9696 MIHR.CA

BOOTH 1705Minc.on Mining EquipmentRoanoke, VA, USAT.: 540-344-9939minc.onmining.com

BOOTH 817Mine Cable Services Corp.Edmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-439-1113minecableservices.ca

BOOTH 1429Mine Design TechnologiesKingston, ON, CanadaT.: 613-549-5223mdt.ca

BOOTH 707Mine Hoists International Ltd.North Bay, ON, CanadaT.: 705-495-8587minehoist.com

BOOTH 1425MineSightTucson, AZ, USAT.: 520-795-3891minesight.com

BOOTH 3118MISOMTucson, AZ, USAT.: 520-495-0185misom.com

BOOTH 2103Mission Critical Energy Inc.Amherst, NY, USAT.: 716-276-8465missioncriticalenergy.com

BOOTH 3007Mitsubishi Materials U.S.A.CorporationMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 800-423-1358mmus.com

BOOTH 1504MMD Mineral Sizing(Canada) Inc.Edmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-451-5100mmdsizers.com

BOOTH 1525Modular Mining SystemsTucson, AZ, USAT.: 520-746-9127modularmining.com

BOOTH 804Motion Metrics Int’l Corp.Vancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-822-5842motionmetrics.com

BOOTH 3022Movex InnovationShawinigan, QC, CanadaT.: 819-538-0376movexinnovation.com

BOOTH 3120MPI Mobile Parts Inc.Val Caron, ON, CanadaT.: 705-897-4955mobileparts.com

BOOTH 2225MTS Systems CorporationEden Prairie, MN, USAT.: 952-937-4454mts.com

BOOTH 1508Mullen Trucking LPAldersyde, AB, CanadaT.: 403-652-8888mullentrucking.com

BOOTH 1004Multotec Canada Ltd.Edmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-433-8825multotec.com

BOOTH 3111National Research Council CanadaVancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-221-3084nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

BOOTH 427Neptec Technologies Corp.Kanata, ON, CanadaT.: 613-599-7603neptectechnologies.com

STAY APP-TO-DATEGet the practical interactive Convention program and contribute to helping us reduce our carbon footprint.

Available as of April 2015.

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New Dimensions


BOOTH 3000New Brunswick Trade & Export DevelopmentFredericton, NB, CanadaT.: 506-444-5973gnb.ca

BOOTH 2218New Concept MiningJohannesburg, GT, South AfricaT.: 27-11-494-6000ncm.co.za

BOOTH 1727NGF Geomatics Inc.Ottawa, ON, CanadaT.: 888-965-4477ngfgeomatics.com

BOOTH 428Nitralife S.A. (PTY) Ltd.Bryanston, Gauteng, South AfricaT.: 27-11-706-7884nitralife.co.za

BOOTH 426Noise clipper (PTY) Ltd.Pretoria, Gauteng, South AfricaT.: 27-12-349-0700noiseclipper.co.za

BOOTH 1527Noise Solutions Inc.Calgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-232-0916noisesolutions.com

BOOTH 2425Nordex Explosives LtdKirkland Lake, ON, CanadaT.: 705-642-3265nordexexplosives.com

BOOTH 926Normet Canada Ltd.Lively, ON, CanadaT.: 705-692-2800normet.com

BOOTH 1518Norseman StructuresSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-385-2888norsemanstructures.com

BOOTH 1023North Fringe IndustrialTechnologies Inc.Nipawin, SK, CanadaT.: 306-862-5900northfringe.com

BOOTH 1821Northern Light TechnologiesToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 905-287-3552nltInc.com

BOOTH 3025O’kane Consultants Inc.Saksatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 587-223-7493okc-sk.com

BOOTH 2105Olympus Canada Inc.Richmond Hill, ON, CanadaT.: 289-269-0160olympuscanada.com

BOOTH 2325Orica Canada Inc.Watkins, CO, USAT.: 303-268-5057oricaminingservices.com

BOOTH 918OSIsoft (Canada) ULCMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-493-8393OSIsoft.com

BOOTH JF14Outotec (Canada) Ltd.Burlington, ON, CanadaT.: 905-335-0952outotec.com

BOOTH 1024Pacific Bit of Canada Inc.Surrey (Port Kells), BC, CanadaT.: 604-513-4292pacific-bit.com

BOOTH 2922ParkerMilton, ON, CanadaT.: 905-693-4804parker.com/canada

BOOTH 2708PBEVal Caron, ON, CanadaT.: 705-222-0020pbegrp.com

BOOTH 3013PCI GasesRiverside, CA, USAT.: 800-309-8935pcigases.com

BOOTH 2712Pex Industrial PipingSolutionsEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 7804501155QISUPPLY.COM

BOOTH 2812Phoenix Conveyor BeltSystems~Alternative BeltingLangley, BC, CanadaT.: 604-513-2368phoenix-conveyor-belts.com

BOOTH 302PHOENIX ProcessEquipment Co.Louisville, KY, USAT.: 502-499-6198dewater.com

BOOTH 524Plattco CorporationPlattsburgh, NY, USAT.: 518-563-4640Plattco.com

BOOTH 2223Plaxis Americas LLCHouston, TX, USAT.: 650-804-4729plaxis.nl

BOOTH 1415Polar Mobility Research Ltd.Calgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-279-3633polarmobility.com

BOOTH 1622Polycorp Ltd.Elora, ON, CanadaT.: 519-846-2075poly-corp.com

BOOTH 1419Polydeck Screen CorporationSpartanburg, SC, USAT.: 864-579-4594polydeckscreen.com

BOOTH 1217PolyplastSaint-Mathieu-D’Harricana, QC, CanadaT.: 819-732-5489polyplasts.com

BOOTH 2700Pompaction Inc.Pointe-Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-697-8600pompaction.com

BOOTH 1116PR Engineering LimitedOshawa, ON, CanadaT.: 905-579-9721prengineering.com

BOOTH 1322Praetorian ConstructionManagementEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-989-0289praetoriancm.com

BOOTH 2126Prairie Machine & Parts Mfg. PartnershipSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-933-4812pmparts.com

BOOTH 504Precision Pulley & IdlerPella, IA, USAT.: 641-628-3115ppipella.com

BOOTH 2906ProcessBarronPelham, AL, USAT.: 888-663-2028processbarron.com

BOOTH 2122Procon Systems Inc.Delta, BC, CanadaT.: 604-940-8757proconsystems.com

BOOTH 311ProMinent Fluid ControlsGuelph, ON, CanadaT.: 888-709-9933prominent.ca

BOOTH 2410ProvixAlliston, ON, CanadaT.: 705-434-0253PROVIX.net

BOOTH 2716PTMSS/SRR TechnologyDemonstrationsCapreol, ON, CanadaT.: 705-824-1500 ptmss.ca

BOOTH 2027QIP Equipment Ltd.Pointe-Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-630-6820qip.ca

BOOTH 1825Queen’s UniversityKingston, ON, CanadaT.: 613-533-2230mine.queensu.ca

BOOTH 2409R.A.S. Industries Ltd.Surrey, BC, CanadaT.: 604-560-8154RASpulleys.com

BOOTH 1715R.D.H. Mining EquipmentAlban, ON, CanadaT.: 705-857-2154rdhminingequipment.com

BOOTH 727Redaelli Tecna SpaCologno Monzese, MI, ItalyT.: 39-02-253071redaelli.com/en

BOOTH 1404Renishaw (Canada) LimitedManotick, ON, CanadaT.: 613-692-0132renishaw.com/smd

BOOTH 2219RESPEC Consulting & ServicesRapid City, SD, USAT.: 605-394-6400respec.com

BOOTH 2520Rexnord Canada LimitedVille St. Laurent, QC, CanadaT.: 514-337-2446rexnord.com

BOOTH 600Richwood Industries Inc.Huntington, WV, USAT.: 304-525-5436richwood.com

BOOTH 720Rimex Supply Ltd.Surrey, BC, CanadaT.: 604-888-0025rimex.com

BOOTH 2916Ritchie Bros.Burnaby, BC, CanadaT.: 778-331-5500rbauction.com

BOOTH 1728RNE PUMPS AMERICAS Inc.Dartmouth, NS, CanadaT.: 902-817-6011rneamericas.com

BOOTH 3110Robar Industries Ltd.Surrey, BC, CanadaT.: 604-591-8811robarindustries.com

BOOTH 719Rock-TechLively, ON, CanadaT.: 705-692-7625rock-tech.net

BOOTH 1815Rockwell AutomationCambridge, ON, CanadaT.: 519-244-5321rockwellautomation.com

BOOTH 2217Rocscience Inc.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-698-8217rocscience.com

BOOTH 2227Roctest, Ltd.Saint-Lambert, QC, CanadaT.: 450-465-1114 roctest.com

BOOTH 3006Rogers Electric Motor ServiceBathurst, NB, CanadaT.: 855-218-6447rogerselectric.ca

BOOTH 2521Rossi North AmericaSuwanee, GA, USAT.: 800-931-2044rossi-group.com

BOOTH 2114ROSTA inc.Uxbridge, ON, CanadaT.: 905-852-1929rostaInc.com

BOOTH 2900Rousseau MetalSt-Jean-Port-Joli, QC, CanadaT.: 866-463-4270rousseaumetal.com

BOOTH 828RST Instruments Ltd.Maple Ridge, BC, CanadaT.: 604-540-1100rstinstruments.com

BOOTH 2925RUBB Building Systems /AZTEC GroupMont-Saint-Hilaire, QC, CanadaT.: 450-813-6057aztecInc.ca

BOOTH 626RubberSource Inc.Cambridge, ON, CanadaT.: 519-620-4440rubbersource.ca

BOOTH 2406Rulmeca CanadaWallaceburg, ON, CanadaT.: 519-627-2277rulmeca.ca

BOOTH 1304RungePinc.ockMinarcoCalgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-217-4981rpmglobal.com

BOOTH 3017Russell Mineral EquipmentToowoomba, QLD, AustraliaT.: 61-7-4698-9100rmeGlobal.com

BOOTH 821S.HuotQuebec, QC, CanadaT.: 418-681-0291shuot.com

BOOTH 306SAFEmap InternationalVancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-642-6110safemap.com

BOOTH 205Safety WhipsPhoenix, AZ, USAT.: 604-560-5080safetywhips.com

BOOTH 2021Sandale Utility ProductsBrantford, ON, CanadaT.: 519-754-1366sandale.ca

BOOTH 2505Sandvik MiningLively, ON, CanadaT.: 905-816-4908mining.sandvik.com

BOOTH 601SantasaloCambridge, ON, CanadaT.: 418-651-1414santasalo.com

BOOTH 1516 - 1523Saskatchewan Trade & Export PartnershipRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-787-9210sasktrade.sk.ca


BOOTH 724Scantech International Pty Ltd.Underwood, QLD, AustraliaT.: 61 7 3710 8406scantech.com.au

BOOTH 3114Scheuerle Fahrzeugfabrik GmbHPfedelbach, BW, GermanyT.: 49-0-7941 /691 - 0scheuerle.com

BOOTH 1607Schneider-ElectricPointe-Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-693-6839schneider-electric.com

BOOTH 1629Schurco SlurryJacksonville, FL, USAT.: 904-356-6840schurcoslurry.com

BOOTH 2123Schweitzer EngineeringLaboratoriesPullman, WA, USAT.: 509-334-5089selInc.com

BOOTH 704Schwing Bioset Inc.Somerset, WI, USAT.: 715-247-3433schwingbioset.com

BOOTH 208Sempertrans France Belting TechnologyRawdon, QC, CanadaT.: 514 212 3771sempertrans.com

BOOTH 1218Services Industriels BEST H2O Inc.Saint-Urbain-Premier, QC,CanadaT.: 450-427-1440best-corp.com

BOOTH 1901SEW-Eurodrive Co. of Canada Ltd.Bramelea, ON, CanadaT.: 905-791-1553sewcan.ca

BOOTH 1722Shaft Drillers InternationalMt. Morris, PA, USAT.: 304-599-5900shaftdrillers.com

BOOTH 809Shell CanadaBurlington, ON, CanadaT.: 905-466-4948shell.ca/lubricants

BOOTH 2816Sherwin-WilliamsCleveland, OH, USAT.: 216-515-4361sherwin-williams.com/protective

BOOTH 2125SIEMAG TECBERG Inc.Milwaukee, WI, USAT.: 414-727-5728siemag-tecberg.com

BOOTH 2917Siemens Canada LimitedOakville, ON, CanadaT.: 416-272-2741siemens.ca

BOOTH 3012Sika Canada Inc.Pointe-Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-697-2610can.sika.com

BOOTH 1220SIM-CogniboxShawinigan, QC, CanadaT.: 819-536-5653cognibox.com

BOOTH 1118Simsmart TechnologiesBrossard, QC, CanadaT.: 450-923-0400simsmart.com

BOOTH 611Simson MaxwellCalgary, AB, CanadaT.: 800-374-6766simson-maxwell.com

BOOTH 3003Sinomin Rubber Group Co. Ltd.Dezhou, Shandong, ChinaT.: 13910644347sinomin.com

BOOTH 2509Six Safety Systems Inc.Cochrane, AB, CanadaT.: 403-932-7955sixsafetysystems.com

BOOTH 615SM-Cyclo CanadaOakville, ON, CanadaT.: 905-469-1050smcyclo.com

AIR TRAVELINFORMATION |TRANSPORT AÉRIENWe have appointed Air Canada as the official airlinefor the 2015 CIM Convention & Expo! For onlinereservations, go to www.aircanada.com and enterthe convention code GPDH7FF1 in the searchengine.

Nous avons choisi Air Canada comme transporteurofficiel pour le congrès de l’ICM 2015. Pour lesréservations en ligne, allez à www.aircanada.comet entrez le code de congrès GPDH7FF1 dans lemoteur de recherche.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION |HÉBERGEMENTConference Direct is the official housing bureau forthe CIM Convention. The online one-stopreservation central makes it seamless for you toreserve your room at the group rate. Space islimited so reserve early! Visit convention.cim.org,click on the Montreal drop down menu, then onHotel Reservations and proceed. Details on piracyhousing agencies, group reservations and wait listsare available on that web page.

Conference Direct est le seul service officiel deréservation d’hôtel pour notre congrès. Ce servicecentralisé vous permettra de réserver votrechambre au tarif de groupe. Les chambres sontlimitées, réservez tôt ! Reportez-vous à notre pageHébergement et réservations à convention.cim.org,sous l’onglet Montréal. Des détails relatifs auxagences de réservations, de réservations degroupes et de listes d’attente sont publiés sur cettepage Web.



BOOTH 2019SME - Society for MiningMetallurgy & ExplorationEnglewood, CO, USAT.: 303-948-4204smenet.org

BOOTH 1507SMS Equipment Inc.Acheson, AB, CanadaT.: 780-948-2235smsequip.com

BOOTH 1308SNC-LavalinSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-668-6800 snclavalin.com

BOOTH 2909SNF Canada Ltd.Trois-Rivières, QC, CanadaT.: 416-486-7853snfcanada.com

BOOTH 2908Southwire CanadaMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 289-777-7557southwire.ca

BOOTH 1109SPIBlainville, QC, CanadaT.: 450-420-2012spi-s.com

BOOTH 1123Split Engineering, LLC.Tucson, AZ, USAT.: 520-327-3773 spliteng.com

BOOTH 3122Spraying Systems Canada Ltd.Laval, QC, CanadaT.: 514-448-0335spray.com

BOOTH 924Sprung Instant Structures Ltd.Aldersyde, AB, CanadaT.: 403-601-2292sprung.com

BOOTH 2418SPXRochester, NY, USAT.: 585-527-1658spx.com

BOOTH 416SSABDelson, QC, CanadaT.: 514-364-1752ssab.com

BOOTH 3023Suncast Polytech Inc.Edmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-448-1098suncast.ca

BOOTH 2109Superior PropaneCalgary, AB, CanadaT.: 877-873-7467superiorpropane.com

BOOTH 914Symboticware Inc.orporatedSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 800-519-5496 symboticware.com

BOOTH 517Syntron Material Handling LLCTupelo, MS, USAT.: 800-356-4898syntronmh.com

BOOTH 1216Systemes BMHBoucherville, QC, CanadaT.: 450-449-4770bmhsystems.com

BOOTH 1804Takraf Canada Inc.Calgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-252-8003tenovagroup.com

BOOTH 1725Tank ConnectionParsons, KS, USAT.: 620-423-3010tankconnection.com

BOOTH JF12TDT Crews Inc.Stoney Creek, ON, CanadaT.: 905-592-9919tdtcrews.com

BOOTH 1103TE ConnectivityFuquay Varina, NC, USAT.: 800-327-6996te.com

BOOTH 201Tech/Pro Heavy Industrial Inc.Dorval, QC, CanadaT.: 514-633-1231techproInc.ca

BOOTH 1200TechnosubRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-3300technosub.net

BOOTH JF06Teck Resources Ltd.Sparwood, BC, CanadaT.: 250-425-6305teck.com/careers

BOOTH 1324TECO-Westinghouse Motors (Canada) Inc.Edmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 800-661-4023tecowestinghouse.ca

BOOTH 2108Tega Industries LimitedSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-523-4158TEGAINDUSTRIES.COM

BOOTH 722Teledyne VariSystemsCalgary, AB, CanadaT.: 403-272-0318varisystems.com

BOOTH 805TEMA Isenmann, Inc.Lexington, KY, USAT.: 859-252-0613temaisenmann.com

BOOTH 410TerraSource GlobalSt. Louis, MO, USAT.: 618-641-6966terrasource.com

BOOTH 1327TES The EmploymentSolutionPointe-Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-426-0121tes.net

BOOTH JF08The Mosaic CompanyRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-523-2847mosaicco.com

BOOTH 610The Northern MinerToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-442-5600northernminer.com

BOOTH 1326Thermo Scientific (Thermo Fisher Scientific Group)Tewksbury, MA, USAT.: 978-215-1421thermoscientific.com/mining

COME VISIT THE CIM MAGAZINE TEAMBooth 1915

FOREVERYTHINGMINING


BOOTH 922Thunderbird Mining SystemsRedmond, WA, USAT.: 425-869-2727tbirdmining.com

BOOTH 1015Thyssen MiningRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-949-5929thyssenmining.com

BOOTH 401TMEICSalem, VA, USAT.: 540-283-2364tmeic.com

BOOTH 2120TOMRA Sorting, Inc.Englewood, CO, USAT.: 303-626-7740tomra.com/mining

BOOTH 2721Tonka WaterPlymouth, MN, USAT.: 763-252-0066tonkawater.com

BOOTH 1827Tracks & Wheels Equipment Brokers Inc.Sudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-566-5438tracksandwheels.com

BOOTH 609Tramac Equipment Ltd.Laval, QC, CanadaT.: 450-663-8122tramac.com

BOOTH 2029Transmin Pty Ltd.Malaga, WA, AustraliaT.: 61-8-9270-8555transmin.com.au

BOOTH 623Transport BellemareInternationalTrois-Rivières, QC, CanadaT.: 450-638-5566groupebellemare.com

BOOTH 2309Trimble NavigationWestminster, CO, USAT.: 720-887-6100trimble.com/mining

BOOTH 622TS ManufacturingLindsay, ON, CanadaT.: 705-324-3762tsman.com

BOOTH 421Tube-Mac PipingTechnologies Ltd.Stoney Creek, ON, CanadaT.: 905-643-8823tube-mac.com

BOOTH 3009Two Crazy Ladies Inc.Toronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-494-2244twocrazyladies.com

BOOTH 200 - 407U.S & Foreign Commercial ServiceMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-908-3662buyusa.gov/canada

BOOTH 405UBC Mining EngineeringVancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-822-2540mining.ubc.ca

BOOTH 1318Urecon Ltd.Calmar, AB, CanadaT.: 780- 985-2466urecon.com

BOOTH JF13Usha Martin (UMAI)Houston, TX, USAT.: 281-770-3421ushamartinus.com

BOOTH 619V.J. Pamensky Canada Inc.North York, ON, CanadaT.: 416-781-4617pamensky.com

BOOTH 2907ValléeSt-Alban, QC, CanadaT.: 418-268-8955vallee.ca

BOOTH 2921Valley Blades LimitedWaterloo, ON, CanadaT.: 519-885-5500 valleyblades.com

BOOTH 3123Van der GraafBrampton, ON, CanadaT.: 905-793-8100vandergraaf.com

BOOTH 406VEGA Americas, Inc.Cincinnati, OH, USAT.: 513-272-7346vega-americas.com

BOOTH 2316Veolia Water TechnologiesMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-286-4846veoliawaterstna.com

BOOTH 511VictaulicRichmond Hill, ON, CanadaT.: 905-884-7444victaulic.com

BOOTH 3011Victoria Gold CorpVancouver, BC, CanadaT.: 604-696-6610vitgoldcorp.com

BOOTH 210VMACNanaimo, BC, CanadaT.: 250-740-3200vmacair.com

BOOTH 1104Voith Turbo Inc.Mississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-670-3122canada.voithturbo.com

BOOTH 3001Wabi Iron & Steel Corp.New Liskeard, ON, CanadaT.: 705-647-4383wabicorp.com

BOOTH 209Wajax - ComposantsIndustrielLachine, QC, CanadaT.: 514-636-7200wajaxindustriel.com

BOOTH 2515Wajax EquipmentAcheson, AB, CanadaT.: 780-948-5487wajaxequipment.com

BOOTH 1301Wajax PowerEdmonton, AB, CanadaT.: 780-437-8200wajaxpower.com

BOOTH 909Weir Minerals - North AmericaMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-813-8190weirminerals.com

BOOTH 2903Wenco International Mining Systems Ltd.Richmond, BC, CanadaT.: 604-270-8277wencomine.com

FREE FOR EXHIBITORS |GRATUIT POUR LESEXPOSANTSDid you know that anexhibitor benefits fromall of the following:

Six exhibitor badges

Access to the convention Plenary session

Access to theconvention TechnicalProgram sessions

Access to Planetaryand Terrestrial MiningScience Symposium(PTMSS) and Iron OreSymposium

Access to the Ethics in Mining Symposium

VIP invitations to distribute to your clients (value of $40 each)

Access to Internetstations in theexhibition

Mobile devicescharging station in main foyer

Access to the Joy Global Gala

Finger foods in the exhibition duringthe Opening NightReception

Listing and companyprofile in the officialCIM Conventionprogram and Expo! guide

Priority boothreservation for thefollowing year’s Expo!

BOOTH 624WSP GroupSudbury, ON, CanadaT.: 705-674-0119wspgroup.com/en/WSP-Canada

BOOTH 1314XylemCharlotte, NC, USAT.: 704-409-9750xylemwatersolutions.com/ca

BOOTH 2809Yaskawa Canada Inc.Pointe-Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-693-6770yaskawa.com


BOOTH 422West Rand Engineering (PTY) Ltd.Krugersdorp, Gauteng, SouthAfricaT.: 27-11-952-9800wre.co.za

BOOTH 2116WestechMills, WY, USAT.: 307-235-1591 wstch.com

BOOTH 1626WesTech Engineering Inc.Salt Lake City, UT, USAT.: 801-265-1000westech-Inc.com

BOOTH 2025Westlund IndustrialMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-624-4575westlundpvf.com

BOOTH 706Westpro Machinery Inc.Vernon, BC, CanadaT.: 250-549-6710westpromachinery.com

BOOTH 424Wide Range Engineering CCMeadowdale, GermistonGauteng, South AfricaT.: 27-11-974-0852wre-eng.com

BOOTH 305WipWare Inc.North Bay, ON, CanadaT.: 705-472-2664wipware.com

BOOTH 1305Wire Rope Industries Ltd.Pointe Claire, QC, CanadaT.: 514-426-6442wirerope.com

BOOTH 604WireCo WorldGroupKansas City, MO, USAT.: 816-270-4826wirecoworldgroup.com

BOOTH 429Wirtgen AmericaAntioch, TN, USAT.: 615-501-0600wirtgenamerica.com

BOOTH 2319Wolseley CanadaSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-931-2900hdpe.ca

BOOTH 900WorleyParsonsCanadaMississauga, ON, CanadaT.: 905-816-7100worleyparsons.com

BOOTH JF03BrunelMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-396-7890brunelcanada.ca

BOOTH JF04Detour GoldToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-304-0800detourgold.com

BOOTH JF05Agnico EagleToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-847-8669agnicoeagle.com

BOOTH JF06Teck Resources Ltd.Sparwood, BC, CanadaT.: 250-425-6305teck.com/careers

BOOTH JF07Cameco CorporationSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-956-6215cameco.com

BOOTH JF08The Mosaic CompanyRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-523-2847mosaicco.com

BOOTH JF09 GoldcorpToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-363-1445goldcorp.com

CIM EXPO! JOB FAIR | FOIRE DE L’EMPLOI DE L’EXPO! DE L’ICM

As the industry continues to adapt to changing conditions, our recruiters understand andrecognize all facets of the job search process. The need for skilled workers is everapparent and the mining industry is still looking to hire.

Prospective employees will meet and network with high-calibre recruiters and miningcompanies that are looking to fill the needs of the industry. Whether a new career is whatyou seek or a way to enhance your existing skill set, the Expo! Job Fair will be the firststep in the right direction.

Notre industrie s’adapte sans cesse à l’évolution des conditions du marché du travail. Ilva donc sans dire que nos agents de recrutement comprennent et reconnaissent toutesles facettes du processus de recherche d’emploi. Le besoin de main-d’œuvre qualifiée esttoujours criant et le secteur minier cherche encore à embaucher de nouveaux travailleurs.

Dans le cadre de la Foire de l’emploi, les employéspotentiels auront l’occasion de faire du réseautage ainsique de rencontrer des agentsde recrutement de haut niveau et des représentants desociétés minières désireusesde mieux répondre auxbesoins de l’industrie. Quevous envisagiez une nouvellecarrière ou que vous cherchiezun moyen d’approfondir voscompétences, la Foire del’emploi de l’Expo! est unpremier pas dans la bonnedirection.

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Professionals are increasingly joining business socialmedia networks to grow their own networks, position theirbrand and promote their value online. Learning whichchannel to join and how to tap into its potential can becrucial to growing your business, reaching new marketsand getting instant feedback from customers andstakeholders.

App sponsored by SMS Equipment Inc.

MINING SOCIAL MEDIA MINES ET MÉDIAS SOCIAUX

De plus en plus, les professionnels del’industrie utilisent les réseaux sociauxd’affaires afin d’accroître leurs contacts, depositionner leurs marques et de promouvoir leurs valeursen ligne. Savoir quels réseaux joindre et comment puiserdans son potentiel peut être crucial pour la croissance devotre entreprise, pour joindre de nouveaux marchés et pourobtenir une rétroaction instantanée des clients et desparties prenantes.

Application commandité par SMS Equipment Inc.

www.facebook.com/CIMConventionCommunicate, ask us questions, checkout our photos and connect with theglobal mining community! Communiquez, posez-nous vosquestions, visionnez nos photos etconnectez avec la communautéminière mondiale!

@AnnualCIMThe CIM Conventionhashtag is #CIMTL15. Le mot-clic officiel duCongrès de l’ICM 2015sera #CIMTL15.

www.linkedin.com/in/cimconventionJoin our growing globalmining professional network.Joignez notre réseaucroissant d’experts del’industrie minière mondiale.

Join the CIM Convention conversation! Prenez part à la conversation du congrès !

The mobile app will be available in April.L’application mobile sera disponible en avril.


FLOOR PLAN | PLAN DU SITE


Saturday, May 9 8:00-10:00 CIM Executive Meeting 10:00-16:00 CIM Council Meeting 13:00-17:00 Registration

Sunday, May 10 7:30-13:00 Leadership Congress for CIM Officers 8:00-17:00 Workshops 8:00-20:00 Registration 8:00-20:00 International Delegations Activities 9:00-12:00 Guest Program: City Tour of Montreal 13:00-14:00 CIM Annual General Meeting 13:30-16:00 Guest Program:

Flavours and Aromas of Old Montreal 15:00-20:00 Business Class Lounge 15:00-20:00 Presenters’ Preparation Room 16:00-20:00 Opening Ceremony and Welcome Reception

Monday, May 11 7:00-8:30 Breakfast for Monday’s Presenters

and Session Chairs 7:30-8:30 Knowledge Breakfast:

Leadership is the New Safety 7:30-9:00 CEO and Plenary Speakers’ Breakfast 7:30-17:00 Registration 7:30-17:00 Presenters’ Preparation Room 7:30-17:00 Business Class Lounge 8:00-17:00 International Delegations Activities 9:00-11:30 Plenary Session: New Dimensions 9:00-16:00 M4S – The Show on Mining, Minerals,

Metals and Materials 9:30-15:30 Guest Program: Grévin Museum

and Lunch at La Guilde Culinaire 10:00-17:00 The Expo! / CIM Job Fair /

Student Poster Program 12:00-14:00 Lunch at the Expo! 14:00-16:05 Technical Program

• Innovation – Present and Future• Maintenance Engineering/

Underground Mining• Environmental Paradigms• Operational Excellence• Geology• Women in Mining• Iron Ore Symposium• Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Sciences

Symposium 15:30-17:00 Networking Cocktail Reception at the Expo! 18:00-19:00 CIM Awards Gala Reception 19:00-23:00 CIM Awards Gala

DAILY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS


Tuesday, May 12 7:00-8:30 Breakfast for Tuesday’s Presenters and

Session Chairs 7:30-17:00 Registration 7:30-17:00 Presenters’ Preparation Room 7:30-17:00 Business Class Lounge 8:00-12:00 Student Program:

Mock Interview Session and Round Tables 8:00-17:00 International Delegation Lounge 8:30-16:05 Technical Program

• Innovation – Present and Future• Maintenance Engineering/Underground Mining• Environmental Paradigms• West Africa• Operational Excellence/Explosives and Blasting• Geology• Ethics in Mining Symposium• Iron Ore Symposium• Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Sciences

Symposium 9:00-16:00 M4S – The Show on Mining, Minerals,

Metals and Materials 9:00-15:00 Guest program: A Day in the Country

& Traditional Sugar Shack 10:00-17:00 The Expo! / CIM Job Fair / Student Poster

Program 12:00-14:00 Lunch at the Expo! 12:00-14:00 Student-Industry Luncheon 15:30-17:00 Networking Cocktail Reception at the Expo! 16:30-19:00 Iron Ore Symposium Cocktail Reception 17:00-19:00 Women in Mining and VIP Reception 20:00-00:00 Joy Global Gala

Wednesday, May 13 7:00-8:30 Breakfast for Wednesday’s Presenters

and Session Chairs 7:30-14:00 Registration 7:30-14:00 Presenters’ Preparation Room 7:30-14:00 Business Class Lounge 8:30-12:00 Special Session: Extractive Sector

Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue 8:30-12:10 Technical Program

• Innovation – Present and Future• Maintenance Engineering/Underground Mining• Operational Excellence• Best Practices• Women in Mining• Iron Ore Symposium• Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Sciences

Symposium• Management & Finance Day

9:00-16:00 M4S – The Show on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Materials

12:00-13:45 Management and Finance Day & Closing Lunch

13:45-16:45 Technical Program: Management & Finance Day 14:00-16:05 Technical Program

• Iron Ore Symposium• Planetary and Terrestrial Mining Sciences

Symposium 16:45-18:00 Management and Finance Day

Meet & Greet Reception

SUNDAY, MAY 10 | DIMANCHE 10 MAI | 16:00-20:00OPENING CEREMONY AND WELCOME RECEPTION |

CÉRÉMONIE D’OUVERTURE ET RÉCEPTION DE BIENVENUE

Ceremony in Viger Hall Foyer prior to reception at the Expo!Included in the registration fee

Cérémonie dans le foyer Viger avec la réception à l’Expo! Inclus dans l’inscription

SOCIAL PROGRAMPROGRAMME SOCIAL

MONDAY & TUESDAY, MAY 11-12 | LUNDI ET MARDI 11-12 MAI

NETWORKING AT THE EXPO! | RÉSEAUTAGE À L’EXPO!

The lunch will be held from 12:00–14:00, the cocktail reception from15:30–17:00. The lunch and one drink ticket per day are included with

each delegate registration.

Un billet de lunch et un billet donnant droit à une consommation durantla réception sont inclus par jour par délégué inscrit.

Le lunch : 12 h–14 h ; la réception : 15 h 30–17 h.

MONDAY, MAY 11 | LUNDI 11 MAI | Reception/Réception: 18:00 | Gala: 19:00

CIM AWARDS GALA | GALA DE L’ICMSalon 710 | $175

TUESDAY, MAY 12 | MARDI 12 MAI

WOMEN IN MINING RECEPTION |RÉCEPTION DES FEMMES EN EXPLOITATION MINIÈRE

17:00-19:00 | Salon 511B | $35

VIP RECEPTION | RÉCEPTION VIP17:00-19:00 | Salon 511B | By invitation

JOY GLOBAL GALA | GALA JOY GLOBALHeld from 20:00 to 00:00 in Salon 710,

the gala is included in the delegate and exhibitor registrationsInclus dans les frais d’inscription des congressistes, le gala aura lieu de 20 h à minuit dans la salle 710.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 | MERCREDI 13 MAI | 12:00-13:45 | Salon 511B

MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE DAY & CLOSING LUNCH |JOURNÉE GESTION ET FINANCES ET LUNCH DE CLÔTURE

The lunch costs $75 for registered convention delegates; $375 for registrants of the lunch and day program.

Le coût du programme de la journée et le lunch est de 375 $. Le lunch pour les délégués du congrès coûte seulement 75 $.

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GalaReception | Réception


Le samedi 9 mai 8 h-10 h Réunion de la direction de l’ICM 10 h-16 h Réunion du conseil d’administration de l’ICM 13 h-17 h Inscription

Le dimanche 10 mai 7 h 30-13 h Congrès sur le leadership des membres

de la direction de l’ICM 8 h-17 h Ateliers 8 h-20 h Inscription 8 h-20 h Activités de la délégation internationale 9 h-12 h Programme des invités :

Tour de ville de Montréal 13 h-14 h Assemblée générale annuelle de l’ICM 13 h 30-16 h Programme des invités :

Saveurs et arômes du Vieux-Montréal 15 h-20 h Salon VIP pour délégués Classe affaires 15 h-20 h Salle de préparation des conférenciers 16 h-20 h Cérémonie d’ouverture et réception de bienvenue

Le lundi 11 mai 7 h-8 h 30 Déjeuner des conférenciers et présidents

de sessions du lundi 7 h 30-8 h 30 Déjeuner-Connaissances :

Leadership rime avec sécurité 7 h 30-9 h Déjeuner des chefs de direction

et conférenciers de la séance plénière 7 h 30-17 h Inscription 7 h 30-17 h Salle de préparation des conférenciers 7 h 30-17 h Salon VIP pour délégués Classe Affaires 8 h-17 h Activités de la délégation internationale 9 h-11 h 30 Séance plénière : Nouvelles dimensions 9 h-16 h M4S-Salon sur les mines, minéraux,

métaux et matériaux 9 h 30-15 h 30 Programme des invités : Musée Grévin

et déjeuner à La Guilde Culinaire 10 h-17 h L’Expo! / Foire de l’emploi de l’ICM /

Affiches des étudiants 12 h-14 h Lunch à l’Expo! 14 h-16 h 05 Programme technique

• Tendances environnementales• Innovation - Présent et avenir• Femmes en exploitation minière• Excellence opérationnelle• Ingénierie, entretien et exploitation minière

souterraine• Géologie• Symposium sur le minerai de fer• Science minière planétaire et terrestre

15 h 30-17 h Réception et réseautage à l’Expo! 18 h-19 h Réception précèdant le gala 19 h-23 h Gala et remise de prix de l’ICM

HORAIRE QUOTIDIEN DES ACTIVITÉS

Le mardi 12 mai 7 h-8 h 30 Déjeuner des conférenciers et présidents

de sessions du mardi 7 h 30-17 h Inscription 7 h 30-17 h Salle de préparation des conférenciers 7 h 30-17 h Salon VIP pour délégués Classe affaires 8 h-12 h Programme pour étudiants :

Pratiques d’entrevue et tables rondes 8 h-17 h Activités de la délégation internationale 8 h 30-16 h 05 Programme technique :

• Tendances environnementales• Innovation - Présent et avenir• Afrique de l’Ouest• Ingénierie, entretien et exploitation minière

souterraine• Explosifs et méthodes• Géologie• Symposium sur le minerai de fer• Symposium mines et éthique• Science minière planétaire et terrestre

9 h-16 h M4S-Salon sur les mines, minéraux, métaux et matériaux

9 h-15 h Programme des invités : Journée champêtre et cabane à sucre

10 h-17 h L’Expo! / Foire de l’emploi de l’ICM / Affiches des étudiants

12 h-14 h Lunch à l’Expo! 12 h-14 h Lunch-réseautage étudiants et industrie 15 h 30-17 h Réception et réseautage à l’Expo! 16 h 30-19 h Réception des participants

du Symposium sur le minerai de fer 17 h-19 h Réception Les femmes et les mines

et réception VIP 20 h-00 h Gala Joy Global

Le mercredi 13 mai 7 h-8 h 30 Déjeuner des conférenciers et présidents

de sessions du mercredi 7 h 30-14 h Inscription 7 h 30-14 h Salle de préparation des conférenciers 7 h 30-14 h Salon VIP pour délégués Classe affaires 8 h 30-12 h Session spéciale : Dialogue multipartite

du secteur extractif 8 h 30-12 h 10 Programme technique

• Innovation - Présent et avenir• Femmes dans l’exploitation minière• Excellence opérationnelle• Les practiques exemplaires• Ingénierie, entretien et exploitation minière

souterraine• Symposium sur le minerai de fer• Science minière planétaire et terrestre• Journée gestion finances de l’industrie minière

9 h-16 h M4S-Salon sur les mines, minéraux, métaux et matériaux

12 h-13 h 45 Lunch de clôture et de la Journée gestion et finances

13 h 45-16 h 45 Programme technique : • Journée gestion et finances

14 h-16 h 05 Programme technique :• Symposium sur le minerai de fer• Science minière planétaire et terrestre (PTMSS)

16 h 45–18 h Réception pour les participants à la Journée gestion et finances


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TECHNICAL PROGRAMMONDAY, MAY 11 | LE LUNDI 11 MAI

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13 | LE MERCREDI 13 MAI

TUESDAY, MAY 12 | LE MARDI 12 MAI

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PM

INNOVATION – PRESENT

AND FUTUREINNOVATION – PRÉSENT ET AVENIR

MAINTENANCEENGINEERING/

UNDERGROUND MININGL’INGÉNIERIE DEMAINTENANCE /L’EXPLOITATION

MINIÈRE SOUTERRAINE

ENVIRONMENTALPARADIGMSTENDANCESENVIRONNE -MENTALES

WEST AFRICA/MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE DAY

L’AFRIQUE DE L’OUEST/ LA JOURNÉE GESTION

ET FINANCE

“NEW DIMENSIONS” PLENARY – MODERATOR: JEAN LAPIERRE

Paradigm Shift: Towards Zero Waste

in Mining(Forum)

Faire évoluer les mentalités :Vers l’élimination

complète des déchets dans le secteur minier

Deep Mine Cooling

Refroidissement de l’air dans

les mines profondes

ESRS Plenary – Responsible MiningSéance plénière de la SERS –

Exploitation minièreresponsable

Genomics (Mining)La génomique

(Exploitation minière)

Plenary – Does the Canadian Mining Industry

Care for Innovation?Séance plénière – L’industrie minière

canadienne se préoccupe-t-elle de l’innovation?

Predictive Maintenance L’entretien préventif

Permitting La délivrance des permis

Mining Projects in West Africa, Part 1

Projets miniers en Afrique de l’Ouest, Première partie

Collaboration forInnovation: RDI

(Forum)La collaboration pourl'innovation : RDI

Merits of Early Maintenance Les avantages de l’entretien préventif

Best Practices in Tailings ManagementPratiques exemplaires de gestion des résidus

miniers

Mining Projects in West Africa, Part 2 Projets miniers

en Afrique de l’Ouest, Deuxième partie

Standards and Guidelines:Building Blocks for InnovationNormes et lignes directrices :Les éléments constitutifs

pour l'innovation

Energy Management inUnderground Mines La gestion de l’énergie

dans les mines souterraines

Management of Water and TailingsLa gestion de l’eau et des résidus

Mining Investmentsin West Africa (Panel)

Les investissements miniers en Afrique de l’Ouest (Groupe de discussion)

Innovative Education(Forum)

L'éducation novatrice

Mine Safety, Part 1 Sécurité dans les mines,

1ère partie Multi-StakeholderDialogue

Dialogue avec lesmultiples parties

prenantes

What are the Hidden Costs?Quels sont les coûts cachés?

Innovation: Present and Future

(Forum)Innovation : Présent et avenir

Mine Safety, Part 2Sécurité dans les mines,

2ième partie

Strategic Cost IssuesLes enjeux stratégiques de la gestion des coûts

The Business Side of CSRL’aspect commercial

de la RSE

Panel Discussion Groupe de discussion

Closing RemarksDiscours de clôture

MES and ESRS ReceptionRéception de la SERS et l’ERSM

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PRELIMINARY TECHNICAL PROGRAMGRILLE DU PROGRAMME TECHNIQUE

PM

AM

EXHIBITORS HAVE FULL ACCESS TO THE PLENARY L & TECHNICAL PROGRAM SESSIONS E

PROGRAMME TECHNIQUEOPERATIONALEXCELLENCE/EXPLOSIVES

AND BLASTINGL’ EXCELLENCE

OPÉRATIONNELLE/LES EXPLOSIFS ET LE DYNAMITAGE

GEOLOGY & BEST PRACTICES

GÉOLOGIEET LES PRATIQUESEXEMPLAIRES

WOMEN IN MINING/ ETHICS IN MINING

SYMPOSIUM LES FEMMES EN

EXPLOITATION MINIÈREET SYMPOSIUM SURL’ÉTHIQUE DANS

L’INDUSTRIE MINIÈRE

IRON ORESYMPOSIUM

SYMPOSIUM SURLE MINERAI DE FER

PLANETARY ANDTERRESTRIAL MININGSCIENCES SYMPOSIUM

(PTMSS)SYMPOSIUM SUR LESSCIENCES MINIÈRESPLANÉTAIRES ETTERRESTRES

PLÉNIÈRE “NOUVELLES DIMENSIONS”– MODÉRATEUR : JEAN LAPIERRE

AEM – OperationalExcellence

AEM - L’excellenceopérationnelle

From Core Shack to Database: Data Collection

& Management of Exploration Projects

Du carottage aux bases de données : la collecte des données et la gestion des projets d’exploration

Women on Boards Le rôle des femmes dans les conseils d’administration

Review ofIron Resources L’analyse des

ressources ferreuses

Opening Remarks, Keynotes and Scholarship

Allocution, discours et bourses d’études

Explosives and Blasting –GroundbreakingAdvancements Les explosifs

et le dynamitage –Percées novatrices

Target Generation Initiatives: GIS and Geospatial Data Integration for Targeting

on Exploration ProjectsInitiatives de génération de données : SIG et

intégration des donnéesgéospatiales visant à cibler des projets d’exploration

Ethics of Risk Assessment

Éthique de l’évaluation des risques

New Project Developments

Nouveaux projets de développement

Legal and Policy Aspects juridiques

et politiques

Mines of the Future Les mines de l’avenir

Innovations in Geochemistry and QA/QC

Les innovations géochimiques – AQ/CQ

Company-Community Agreements and FPIC

Accords entre les entreprises et les communautés et le

consentement libre, préalable et éclairé (CPLE)

Mining Operations Opérationsminières

Commercial Space Mining L’exploitation minière del’espace commercial

Genomics (Environmental)La génomique

(Environnementale)

Geological 3D Modeling for Resources

and Reserve Estimation La modélisation de la

géologie en 3D et l’estimationdes ressources et des réserves minérales

Issues in Mining and Ethics

Les enjeux de l’industrie minière et de l’éthique

Concentration and Pelletizing of Iron Ore

Concentration etbouletage

du minerai de fer

Mission Concepts Les concepts des missions

Leading Organizational Change in Turbulent

TimesDiriger les changementsorganisationnels dansdes temps tumultueux

Engineering Management Practices

Les pratiques de gestion

en ingénierie

Women as Executives Les femmes dans

des rôles de direction

Environment and SustainableDevelopment

L’environnement et le développement

durable

Resource Prospecting La prospection des ressources

Asset Life CycleManagement

Le cycle de vie des actifs

Best PracticesLes pratiques exemplaires

Women in Science and Technology

Le rôle des femmes dans lesSciences et les technologies

Plenary Session Séance plénière

Mining/Drilling/Excavation

Exploitation minière/Forage/Excavation

Innovation in Processing and

Pelletizing of Iron Ore L’innovation dansle traitement et le bouletage du minerai

Processing Traitement des minerais

E LES EXPOSANTS ONT ACCÈS À L’INTÉGRALITÉ DES SÉANCES PLÉNIÈRES & ET DES SESSIONS DÉDIÉES AU PROGRAMME TECHNIQUE

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New dimensions | Nouvelles dimensions

The Plenary Session of the 2015 CIM Convention is intended to bring focusto and initiate a dialogue around the conference theme of “NewDimensions.” Leaders from all aspects of mining and some fromunexpected tangential sectors are brought together in these thought-provoking discussions. Moderator Jean Lapierre is a bilingual Quebecmedia personality known for his outspokenness, independent thinking,and intimate knowledge of politics. He is completely plugged into what ishappening at the federal, provincial and municipal levels of government.

La séance plénière du congrès annuel de l’ICM vise à polariser l’attentionet à orienter le dialogue sur le thème spécifique de la conférence« Nouvelles dimensions. » Il est impératif pour le congrès ICM 2015 demobiliser des leaders d’opinion pour le group d’experts qui sont parvenusà joindre diverses parties prenantes afin de partager les dimensionsémergentes de l’exploitation minière ou de les attirer vers ce secteurd’activité. Modérateur Jean Lapierre est une personnalité québécoisereconnue et appréciée du public pour son franc-parler, ses expressionssavoureuses, son indépendance d’esprit et sa connaissance intime desrouages politiques. Orateur recherché et homme de terrain, Jean Lapierreentretient un réseau de contacts inégalé à travers le Canada. Accroc auBlackBerry, il reste branché sur le pouls de tout ce qui se passe autant enpolitique fédérale, provinciale que municipale.

PLENARY | PLÉNIÈREMONDAY MAY 11 | LE LUNDI 11 MAI | 9:00-11:30

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CONFIRMED PANELISTS | PANÉLISTES CONFIRMÉS

ANDREW SCOTTSenior Director, Mining Information Technology, Barrick Gold

Andrew Scott is tasked with thescope of providing technical infor-mation systems and support forthe entire mining process, whichincludes everything from explo-ration, feasibility, construction,production, reconciliation, throughmine closure.

Understanding that a technical in-formation system is critical to coremining business functions, en-abling the management and/or

collection of observations and measurements, Andrew andhis team focus on: optimal data collection, management anduse; data interchange standardization; foundation technol-ogy selection and implementation; automation opportunitiesand autonomous technologies; technical training and skillsdevelopment; and support (application, vendor relationshipmanagement, stakeholder management).

Andrew considers himself a technologist with more than 28 years of experience in exploration and mining.

KRISTAN STRAUBVice-President, Raglan Mine

Kristan H. Straub was appointedVice-President of Raglan Mine inFebruary 2014. He has more than15 years of combined experiencein geology, operations and proj-ects, and is fluent in English,French and Spanish.

He joined Raglan Mine in Febru-ary 2010 as Mining Geology Su-perintendent. During the sameyear, Kristan was appointed Geol-

ogy and Exploration Manager. He was subsequently ap-pointed Director of Mining Operations and TechnicalServices in August 2012.

Since joining Falconbridge in 2001, Kristan has held variouspositions involving mineral exploration, projects, operationsand management. Over the years, he has worked at Sudbury(Ontario), Kabanga (Tanzania), Collahuasi (Chile), and Tim-mins (Ontario).

GREG LILLEYMANGroup Executive, Technology and Innovation, Rio Tinto, Australia

Greg Lilleyman was appointedGroup Executive, Technology &Innovation in January 2014. Hejoined the Rio Tinto Group in 1990and has held a number of opera-tional roles across the Pilbaraand Hunter Valley, as well as inCanada with both the iron ore andenergy businesses. In 2011 hewas appointed President PilbaraOperations for Rio Tinto Iron Ore,and in August 2013 he assumed

the role of Head of Productivity Improvement with Tech-nology & Innovation.

JEAN ROBITAILLESenior Vice-President, Business Strategy & Technical Services, Agnico Eagle Mines Limited

Jean Robitaille is Senior Vice-President, Business Strategy &Technical Services, Agnico EagleMines Limited since 2014. Prior tothis nomination, he served the com-pany in various capacities for morethan 25 years. During that time, hewas appointed in senior executiveroles in Technical Services & Proj-ect Development and in Metallurgy& Marketing. He has also worked at

the operational level as mill superintendent and metallurgist,and in expansion projects as project manager.

Note : La séance plénière offrira la traduction simultanée de l’anglais au français.


The 2015 Expo! will play host to two provincial pavilions(Saskatchewan and Quebec) and four international pavilions(U.S., South Africa, China, and France), as well as a RockMechanics pavilion (ISRM) and robotic product demonstrationsat the Planetary & Terrestrial Mining Sciences Symposium(PTMSS).

Come and meet movers and shakers from around the worldand from our own backyard, who will be showcasing theirlatest equipment, technology, processes and services. Don’tmiss this great opportunity to mingle with our industry’sleading suppliers, contractors and consultants.

QUEBECBOOTH 122648e Nord InternationalRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-762-492348inter.com

BOOTH 1223Adelard Soucy (1975) Inc/ Soucy IndustrielRivière-du-Loup, QC, CanadaT.: 418-862-2355adelardsoucy.com

BOOTH 1219Developpement Economique d'AmosAmos, QC, CanadaT.: 819-218-0122ville.amos.qc.ca

BOOTH 1221DynamikRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-762-6200dynamik.com

BOOTH 1224Dynamitage Castonguay LteeVal-d'Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-825-4095castonguay.ca

BOOTH 1209EBC-Northec-DBFBrossard, QC, CanadaT.: 450 444-9333ebcinc.com

BOOTH 1227Euclid ChemicalSt-Hubert, QC, CanadaT.: 514-208-4346euclidchemical.com

BOOTH 1204Flairbase Inc.Montreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-695-0352flairbase.com

BOOTH 1129G+ Industrial PlasticsEvain, QC, CanadaT.: 819-768-8888plastiquesgplus.com

BOOTH 1215Groupe Castech-PlessitechThetford-Mines, QC, CanadaT.: 613-521-2345castechinc.com

BOOTH 1211InnovExplo Inc.Val-d'Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-874-0447innovexplo.com

L’Expo! 2015 sera l’hôte de deux pavillons provinciaux(Saskatchewan et Québec) et de quatre pavillons internationaux(États-Unis, Afrique du Sud, Chine et France). On y retrouveraaussi un pavillon sur la mécanique des roches (dans le cadredu congrès de la Société internationale de mécanique desroches) et des démonstrations d’un produit robotique àl’occasion du symposium sur les sciences minières planétaireset terrestres.

Venez rencontrer des personnalités dynamiques de chez nouset d’ailleurs qui vous présenteront de l’équipement, destechnologies, des procédés et des services de pointe. Ne ratezpas cette occasion formidable d’échanger avec desfournisseurs, des entrepreneurs et des consultants jouant unrôle de premier plan dans notre industrie.

CIM EXPO! PAVILIONS THAT SHINE!L’EXPO! DE L’ICM : DES PAVILLONS QUI EN METTENT PLEIN LA VUE !

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BOOTH 1222K.N. EquipementsRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-4919kninc.ca

BOOTH 1229L. Fournier & Fils inc.Val-d'Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-825-4000fournier-fils.com

BOOTH 1207Les chaussures STCAnjou, QC, CanadaT.: 888-686-1286stcfootwear.com

BOOTH 1205Les Forages L.B.M. Inc.Victoriaville, QC, CanadaT.: 819-758-7883lesforageslbm.com

BOOTH 1225M2S Electronique Ltee.Quebec, QC, CanadaT.: 418-842-1312m2s.ca

BOOTH 1201Machines RogerInternational Inc.Val-d'Or, QC, CanadaT.: 819-825-4657machines-roger.ca

BOOTH 1214Manufacture AdriaRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-5881adria-mfg.ca

BOOTH 1206MecanicadRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-2009mecanicad.ca

BOOTH 1217PolyplastSaint-Mathieu-D'Harricana, QC,CanadaT.: 819-732-5489polyplasts.com

BOOTH 1218Services Industriels BEST H2O Inc.Saint-Urbain-Premier, QC,CanadaT.: 450-427-1440best-corp.com

BOOTH 1220SIM-CogniboxShawinigan, QC, CanadaT.: 819-536-5653cognibox.com

BOOTH 1216Systemes BMHBoucherville, QC, CanadaT.: 450-449-4770bmhsystems.com

BOOTH 1200TechnosubRouyn-Noranda, QC, CanadaT.: 819-797-3300technosub.net

CHINABOOTH 2203Beijing Joint-Union ExhibitionBeijing, Haidian, ChinaT.: 86-10-88111462beijingjointunion.itrademarket.com

BOOTH 2202CCPIT Machinery Sub-CouncilBeijing, , ChinaT.: 86-10-68595539chinamachine.org.cn

FRANCEBOOTH 520BUSINESS FranceMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-670-3977ubifrance.com

SOUTH AFRICABOOTH 428NITRALIFE S.A. (PTY) LTDBryanston, GautengSouth AfricaT.: 27-11-706-7884nitralife.co.za

BOOTH 426NOISE CLIPPER (PTY) LTDPretoria, GautengSouth AfricaT.: 27-12-349-0700noiseclipper.co.za

BOOTH 422WEST RAND ENGINEERING (PTY) LTDKrugersdorp, GautengSouth AfricaT.: 27-11-952-9800wre.co.za

BOOTH 424WIDE RANGE ENGINEERING CCMeadowdale, GermistonGauteng, South AfricaT.: 27-11-974-0852wre-eng.com

UNITED STATESBOOTH 200 - 407U.S & Foreign Commercial ServiceMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-908-3662buyusa.gov/canada

SASKATCHEWANBOOTH 1514 Canada North Environmental Limited PartnershipSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-652-4432cannorth.com

BOOTH 1515Clifton Associates Ltd.Regina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-721-7611clifton.ca

BOOTH 1522Contango Strategies Ltd.Saskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-978-3111contangostrategies.com

BOOTH 1521Diversified Construction & MaintenanceStony Beach, SK, CanadaT.: 306-345-2090dcm4hire.com

BOOTH 1520Dyna IndustrialRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-359-7088dynaindustrial.com

BOOTH 1517Government of SaskatchewanRegina, SK, CanadaT.: 306-787-5578saskatchewan.ca/invest

BOOTH 1518Norseman StructuresSaskatoon, SK, CanadaT.: 306-385-2888norsemanstructures.com

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BOOTH 2224CR Mining EquipmentFrisco, TX, USAT.: 469-400-2314cqmsrazer.com

BOOTH 2216DGI GeoscienceToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-361-3191dgigeoscience.com

BOOTH 2215Engineering SeismologyGroup Canada Inc. (ESG)Kingston, ON, CanadaT.: 613-548-8287esgsolutions.com

BOOTH 2222Hoskin ScientificMontreal, QC, CanadaT.: 514-735-5267hoskin.ca

BOOTH 2220Itasca Consulting Group Inc.Minneapolis, MN, USAT.: 612-371-4711itascacg.com

BOOTH 2225MTS Systems CorporationEden Prairie, MN, USAT.: 952-937-4454mts.com

BOOTH 2218New Concept MiningJohannesburg, GT, South AfricaT.: 27-11-494-6000ncm.co.za

BOOTH 2223Plaxis Americas LLCHouston, TX, USAT.: 650-804-4729plaxis.nl

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BOOTH 2217Rocscience IncToronto, ON, CanadaT.: 416-698-8217rocscience.com

BOOTH 2227Roctest Ltd.Saint-Lambert, QC, CanadaT.: 450-465-1114 roctest.com

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Excerpts taken from abstracts in CIM Journal, Vol. 6, No. 1.To subscribe, to submit a paper or to be a peer reviewer—www.cim.org

T E C H N I C A L A B S T R AC T S

CIM journal

ABSTRACT The mining industry is facing serious long- andshort-term challenges relating to uncertain commodityprices, environmental pressures, and margin compressiondue to rising energy costs. Energy issues, formerly treatedas an operating cost, are changing as executives search forlonger term solutions to deal with uncertain fossil fuelprices and greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, min-ing executives are increasingly willing to considerintroducing a proportion of renewable energy (RE) systemsinto the mine energy mix. This paper examines how REcan be successfully integrated at mine sites, as well as someof the benefits and barriers to their wider adoption.

RÉSUMÉ L’industrie minière fait face à de sérieux défis, à long et àcourt terme, en raison de l’incertitude des prix des matières premières,des pressions environnementales et des compressions de la margebénéficiaire dues à la hausse des coûts de l’énergie. Les questionsénergétiques, auparavant considérées comme un coût d’exploitation,changent alors que les cadres cherchent des solutions à plus longterme afin de prendre des mesures pour contrer les prix incertains descombustibles fossiles et les émissions des gaz à effet de serre. C’estpourquoi les cadres miniers sont de plus en plus disposés à considérerl’introduction d’une proportion de systèmes d’énergie renouvelabledans l’équation énergétique de la mine. Le présent article traite de lamanière dont les énergies renouvelables peuvent être introduites avecsuccès aux sites miniers ainsi que quelques-uns des avantages et desbarrières à leur application à une plus grande échelle.

Co-extraction of coal and methaneH. Guo, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; L. Yuan, Huainan Mining GroupCo. Ltd., Huainan, Anhui, China; Y. P. Liang, Q. D. Qu, J. Qin, S. Xue, and J. Xie, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO), Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

ABSTRACT This paper presents key outcomes of a majorAsia-Pacific Partnership project between the Common-wealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation andHuainan Mining Industry Group Co. Ltd. to develop anddemonstrate advanced technologies at Pansan mine,Huainan, China. A comprehensive approach assessed fun-damental strata and coal seam methane conditions duringmining and optimized mining sequences and coal minemethane capture systems. The project demonstrated a prac-tical approach and procedures for advanced coal andmethane co-extraction systems, improved mining safetyand efficiency, increased methane capture and use, andreduced fugitive methane emissions.

RÉSUMÉ Le présent article donne les principaux résultats d’un grandprojet de partenariat Asie-Pacifique entre le CSIRO (Commonwealth Sci-entific and Industrial Research Organisation) [Organisation de recherchescientifique et industrielle du Commonwealth australien] et le HuainanMining Industry Group Co. Ltd. ; ce projet cherche à développer et àdémontrer des technologies avancées à la mine Pansan, à Huainan, enChine. Une perspective globale a évalué les conditions fondamentalesdes strates et du méthane dans les couches de charbon durant l’ex-ploitation et a optimisé les séquences d’extraction et les systèmes decaptage du méthane dans les mines de charbon. Le projet a permis dedémontrer une approche pratique et des procédures pour des sys-tèmes avancés d’extraction conjointe du charbon et du méthane, pouraméliorer la sécurité et l’efficacité minières, accroître le captage et l’utili-sation du méthane et réduire les émissions fugitives de méthane.

History of electrolytic cobalt refining at Vale Canada (Inco)B. R. Conard, BRConard Consulting Inc., Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Prospects for renewable energy systems in the mining industryB. Fleet, Ryerson University and Fleetec Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada; A. Davidse, Deloitte Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada; R. DasGupta andS. Hon, Electrovaya Corp., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada; J. Li, A. Pringle, and C. Searcy, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

ABSTRACT Cobalt refining at Vale Canada (previously knownas Inco) has been associated with Ni production. Because cer-tain compounds of both metals carry risks for adverse healthendpoints by inhalation exposure, it is critical to understandthe aerosol concentrations of specific substances and the met-allurgical processes through which they enter the air. ValeCanada has therefore decided to describe the histories of itsNi-related operations and to report industrial hygiene meas-urements when available. This paper describes electrolytic Cooperations carried out at Port Colborne, Ontario (1954–1966), and provides aerosol measurements (1995–2008) forcurrent Co electrowinning operations.

RÉSUMÉ L’affinage du cobalt chez Vale Canada (anciennementInco) a été associé à la production de nickel. Puisque certains com-posés de ces deux métaux comportent des risques d’effets néfastespour la santé par exposition à l’inhalation, il est essentiel de com-prendre les concentrations en aérosol des substances spécifiquesainsi que les procédés métallurgiques par lesquels ils entrent dansl’air. Vale Canada a donc décidé de décrire les historiques de sesopérations liées au nickel et de divulguer les mesures d’hygièneindustrielle lorsqu’elles sont disponibles. Le présent article décrit lesopérations électrolytiques effectuées sur le Co à Port Colborne,Ontario (1954–1966), et fournit des mesures de la teneur en aérosol(1995–2008) pour l’extraction électrolytique actuelle du Co.

An Introduction to Cutoff Grade: Theory and Practice in Open Pit and Underground Mines (with a new section on blending optimization strategy)Cutoff grades are essential in determining the economic feasibility and mine life of a project. Learn how to solve most cutoff grade estimationproblems by developing techniques and graphical analytical methods, about the relationship between cutoff grades and the design of pushbacks inopen pit mines, and the optimization of block sizes in caving methods.INSTRUCTOR Jean-Michel Rendu, USA • DATE September 9-11, 2015 • LOCATION Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Geostatistical Mineral Resource Estimation and Meeting the New Regulatory Environment: Step by Step from Sampling to Grade ControlLearn about the latest regulations on public reporting of resources/reserves through state-of-the-art statistical and geostatistical techniques; howto apply geostatistics to predict dilution and adapt reserve estimates to that predicted dilution; how geostatistics can help you categorize yourresources in an objective manner; and how to understand principles of NI 43-101 and the SME Guide.INSTRUCTORS Marcelo Godoy, Newmont Mining Corp., Denver; Jean-Michel Rendu, JMR Consultants, USA; Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGillUniversity, Canada; and Guy Desharnais, SGS Canada Inc., Canada • DATE September 14-18, 2015 • LOCATION Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Strategic Risk Management in Mine Design and Production Scheduling: Generating Optimal Mine Plans Given Uncertainty• Find out how to manage and minimise risks and produce optimal pit designs with strategic mine planning processes and the next generation

optimisation methods. • Discover how new developments will help you capture the “upside potential” in mine designs and minimise “downside risks” as well as increase

cash flows through the effect of the mining sequence and “risk blending”.• Explore real-world examples and participate in hands-on computer sessions that show how to increase project value by employing new risk-

based (stochastic) optimisation models.• Understand and learn about the new stochastic mine planning optimisation framework and its contribution to sustainable utilisation of mineral

resources.• Discover new developments in optimizing mining complexes and mineral value chains.INSTRUCTORS Matt LaBonte, Minemax, Denver, USA; and Roussos Dimitrakopoulos, McGill University, Canada • DATE September 21-23, 2015• LOCATION Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Excerpts taken from abstracts in CMQ, Vol. 53, No. 1.To subscribe – www.cmq-online.ca


canadian metallurgical quarterly

Freeze lining formation in continuous converting calcium ferrite slags – IJ. Jansson, P. Taskinen, and M. Kaskiala, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, Esbo, Finland

ABSTRACT The initial freeze-lining growth rate in calciumferrite slags at copper saturation is high and comparable toiron silicate slags. The entire freeze-lining layer is crys-talline, from the cold end to its hot-face in contact with themolten slag. Industrial copper converting slags from a con-tinuous flash converting furnace, processing solidhigh-grade matte to blister copper, generate a thin calciumsulphate bonding layer against the water-cooled metal sur-face during the very first minutes of the slag-to-coolingelement contact. The rare solidification behaviour wasobserved using the water-cooled probe technique in rotat-ing MgO crucibles, at slag temperatures of 1,325 °C whenliquidus temperature of the flash converting slag was esti-mated to locate at about 1,245 °C. The body of the freezelining is mostly composed of magnetite, various mixed cal-cium–copper ferrites and delafossite embedded in anintergranular phase of metallic copper and some copperoxide. The arsenic oxides dissolved in the slag are precipi-tated as solid calcium arsenates in the freeze lining.

RÉSUMÉ La vitesse initiale de croissance du revêtement de gel desscories de ferrite de calcium saturées en cuivre est élevée et compa-rable à celle des scories de silicate de fer. Toute la couche durevêtement de gel est cristalline, de l’extrémité froide jusqu’à sa facechaude en contact avec la scorie fondue. Les scories industrielles decémentation de cuivre d’un four éclair de cémentation en continu,transformant une matte solide de haute qualité en un cuivreampoulé, engendrent une mince couche de liaison de sulphate decalcium contre la surface de métal refroidie à l’eau lors des toutespremières minutes du contact de la scorie avec l’élément derefroidissement. On a observé ce comportement rare de solidifica-tion en utilisant la technique de la sonde refroidie à l’eau dans descreusets de MgO en rotation. La température de la scorie était de 1 325 °C alors que la température de liquidus de la scorie de cémen-tation éclair était estimée à environ 1 245 °C. Le corps du revêtementde gel est composé principalement de magnétite, de diverses fer-rites mélangées de calcium et cuivre et de délafossite, qui sontincluses dans une phase intergranulaire de cuivre métallique et d’unpeu d’oxyde de cuivre. Les oxydes d’arsenic dissous dans la scoriesont précipités dans le revêtement de gel sous forme d’arséniatessolides de calcium.

Freeze lining formation in continuous converting calcium ferrite slags – IIJ. Jansson, P. Taskinen, and M. Kaskiala, School of Chemical Technology, Aalto University, Esbo, Finland

ABSTRACT The heat transfer properties of freeze linings gen-erated in laboratory conditions, by industrial calciumferrite slags from a continuous copper matte flash convert-ing furnace, have been studied in situ in the molten slagusing a water cooled probe technique. The measured heatconductivity of the freeze lining formed, estimated fromdirect measurements in steady state conditions, was8.0±1.5 W m−1 K−1. The obtained heat conductivity of thefreeze lining is 50–100% higher than that of the iron silicateslag freeze linings. The calcium ferrite slag forms a fullycrystalline freeze lining. Various ferrites and metallic copperdevelop the observed high heat conductivity when copperprecipitated from the slag during solidification fills theintergranular cavities of the ferrite crystals tightly in form-ing the freeze lining layer.

RÉSUMÉ On a étudié les propriétés de transfert de chaleur de revête-ments de gel engendrés en laboratoire par des scories industrielles deferrite de calcium, à partir d’un four éclair en continu de cémentationde matte de cuivre, dans la scorie fondue en utilisant la technique ducapteur refroidi à l’eau. La conductibilité thermique mesurée durevêtement de gel formé, estimée par des mesures directes en condi-tions de régime permanent, était de 8,0±1,5 W m−1 K−�1. Laconductibilité thermique obtenue du revêtement de gel est de 50 à100 % plus élevée que celle des revêtements de gel de scorie de sil-icate de fer. La scorie de ferrite de calcium forme un revêtement degel entièrement cristallin. Les différentes ferrites et le cuivremétallique développent la conductibilité thermique élevéeobservée lorsque le cuivre précipité à partir de la scorie pendant lasolidification remplit hermétiquement les cavités intergranulairesdes cristaux de ferrite dans la couche de revêtement de gel en formation.






Kinetic analysis of silicothermic process under flowing argon atmosphereW. Wulandari, G. A. Brooks, M. A. Rhamdhani, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn,Victoria, Australia; and B.J. Monaghan, School of Mechanical Materials and Mechatronics Engineering and Blue Scope Steel Metallurgy Centre,University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Reducibility of nickeliferous limonitic laterite ore from Central AnatoliaS. Pournaderi, Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey; E. Keskinkılıç,Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Atılım University, Incek, Ankara, Turkey; A. Geveci and Y. A. Topkaya, Department ofMetallurgical and Materials Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

ABSTRACT Limonitic nickel laterite from Sivrihisar reserve inTurkey was reduced at 700–1,100 °C by the addition of5.74, 8.61 and 11.48 wt-% coal under an argon atmosphere.The run-of-mine ore and the reduced samples were studiedusing X-ray diffraction. The metallisation of Fe was found tobe limited up to 900 °C, but increased rapidly at higher tem-peratures. The metallisation of Ni and Co increased whenthe temperature was increased from 700 to 800 °C, almostleveled off up to 900 °C and then increased up to 1,100 °C.The results also showed that increased coal additions did notaffect Fe metallisation up to 900 °C. At 1,000 °C the metalli-sation of Fe became slightly better, but its effect was morepronounced at 1,100 °C. The increased coal additionaffected the nickel reduction equally at all temperatures,while it had no effect on the metallisation of Co.

RÉSUMÉ La réserve de nickel limnétique en Turquie a été réduit à 700-1 100 ° C par l’addition de 5,74, 8,61 and 11,48 wt-% de charbon sousatmosphère d’argon. Le minerai et les échantillons réduits ont étéétudiés par DRX. La métallisation de Fe a été jugée limitée à 900 °C,mais elle a augmenté rapidement à des températures plus élevées.La métallisation de Ni et Co a augmenté lorsque la température aété augmentée de 700 à 800 °C, presque stabilisé jusqu’à 900 °C puis1 100 °C. Les résultats ont également montré que l’augmentationdes ajouts de charbon n’a pas affecté la métallisation de Fe jusqu’à900 °C. A 1 000 °C, la métallisation de Fe s’est un peu ameliorée, maisson effet était plus prononcé à 1 100 °C. L’augmentation du taux decharbon a affecté une constante réduction de nickel à toutes lestempératures, alors qu’il n’a eu aucun effet sur la métallisation de Co.

ABSTRACT The Pidgeon process, a silicothermic reductionof calcined dolomite under vacuum, is the dominantprocess to make magnesium metal. Experimental data fromMorsi et al. were utilised for kinetics analysis of silicother-mic reduction of calcined dolomite under argonatmosphere. A number of kinetic models were assessed toevaluate the rate-controlling step in the process. Theresults suggest that the reaction is controlled by the solid-state diffusion of reactants with the Jander andGinstling–Brounshtein model providing the best represen-tation of the process kinetics. Mass transfer effects ofmagnesium vapour from the surface to the bulk gas phasewas also analysed. These results suggest that gas–film masstransfer is not the limiting step of the kinetics. Pore diffu-sion through briquettes is postulated to have some effecton the kinetics but solid-state diffusion is the major rate-limiting step.

RÉSUMÉ Le procédé Pidgeon, une réduction silicothermique sousvide de dolomie calcinée, est le procédé dominant de productionde magnésium métallique. On a utilisé les données expérimentalesde Morsi et al pour l’analyse cinétique de la réduction silicother-mique de dolomie calcinée sous une atmosphère d’argon. On aestimé un certain nombre de modèles cinétiques afin d’évaluer l’é-tape du procédé cinétiquement limitante. Les résultats suggèrentque la diffusion à l’état solide des réactants contrôle la réaction, lemodèle de Jander et Ginstling-Brounshtein fournissant la meilleurereprésentation de la cinétique du procédé. On a également analyséles effets du transfert massique de la vapeur de magnésium de lasurface vers le cœur de la phase gazeuse. Ces résultats suggèrentque le transfert de masse gaz-film n’est pas l’étape limitante de lacinétique. On postule que la diffusion par pore à travers les bri-quettes a un certain effet sur la cinétique mais la diffusion à l’étatsolide est l’étape majeure cinétiquement limitante.





Diffusion induced isothermal solidification during transient liquid phase bonding of cast IN718 superalloyM. Pouranvari, A. Ekrami, and A. H. Kokabi, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

ABSTRACT In transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding forcommercial applications, one of the important key param-eters is the holding time required for complete isothermalsolidification tIS, which is a prerequisite for obtaining aproper bond microstructure. The objective of the study is toanalyse the isothermal solidification kinetics during TLPbonding of cast IN718 nickel based superalloy. Experi-ments for TLP bonding were carried out using aNi–7Cr–4.5Si–3Fe–3.2B (wt-%) amorphous interlayer atseveral bonding temperatures (1,273–1,373 K). The timerequired to obtain TLP joints free from centreline eutecticmicroconstituents was experimentally determined. Consid-ering the solidification behaviour of residual liquid, tIScould be predicted by a mathematical solution of the timedependent diffusion equation based on Fick’s second law.

RÉSUMÉ Dans la brasure en phase liquide transitoire (TLP) pourapplications commerciales, l’un des paramètres clés importants estle temps de maintien requis pour la solidification isotherme com-plète (tIS), qui est une condition requise pour l’obtention d’unemicrostructure adéquate du lien. L’objectif de cette étude estd’analyser la cinétique de la solidification isotherme lors de la bra-sure TLP du superalliage coulé à base de nickel, IN718. On a effectuéles expériences de brasage de TLP en utilisant une couche de liai-son amorphe de Ni–7Cr–4,5Si–3Fe–3,2B (% en poids) à plusieurstempératures de brasage (1 273–1 373 K). On a déterminé expéri-mentalement le temps requis pour l’obtention de joints TLP libresde micro constituants eutectiques à la ligne centrale. En consid-érant le comportement de solidification du liquide résiduel, onpouvait prédire tIS au moyen d’une solution mathématique del’équation de diffusion dépendante du temps basée sur la secondeloi de Fick.

Estimation of porosity and shrinkage in a cast eutectic Al–Si alloyS. Samavedam, MGIT, Hyderabad, India; S. B. Sakri, DRDL, Hyderabad, India; D. Hanumantha Rao, MVSR Engineering College, Hyderabad, India;and S. Sundarrajan, National Institute of Technology, Trichy, India

ABSTRACT Estimation of volume deficit of US 413 cast alu-minium alloy has been discussed in the present study.Decrease in specific volume leads to volume deficits in cast-ings and it can be envisaged as a casting defect. Hence,information about volume deficit and its distribution isessential in minimising casting defects. The volume deficitof a given casting is the combination of macro cavities, inter-nal porosity, surface sinks and volumetric contraction. Thesedefects are measured using mathematical formulae. Estima-tion of internal closed porosity has been addressed throughX-ray computer tomography. Influence of pouring tempera-ture on the volume deficit characteristics has been studied.

RÉSUMÉ Dans cette étude, on discute de l’estimation du déficitvolumique de l’alliage coulé d’aluminium US 413. La réduction duvolume spécifique mène à un déficit volumique dans les moulagesque l’on considère comme un défaut de coulée. En conséquence,l’information concernant le déficit volumique et sa distribution estessentielle dans la restreinte des défauts de coulée. Le déficit volu-mique d’un moulage donné consiste en une combinaison de macrocavités, de porosité interne, de puits de surface et de contractionvolumétrique. Ces défauts sont mesurés en utilisant des formulesmathématiques. On a abordé l’estimation de la porosité interne fer-mée au moyen de la tomographie par ordinateur avec rayons x. Ona étudié l’influence de la température de coulée sur les caractéris-tiques du déficit volumique.





The influence of alkaline salt bath quenching on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AISI D2 steel A. Malekan, A. Pedram, Sh. Raygan, J. Rassizadeh Ghani, School of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, College of Engineering, University ofTehran, Tehran, Iran; and M. Malekan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Lavizan, Tehran, Iran

ABSTRACT In this work, the microstructure and mechanicalproperties of AISI D2 tool steel is compared after air coolingand quenching in alkaline salt bath (60% KOH and 40%NaOH). The results have shown that the hardness of thesamples quenched in alkaline salt bath with different tem-peratures followed by tempering at 540 °C was higher thanthe hardness of air cooled sample. The maximum hardnessfrom surface to centre of the samples was achieved afterquenching in salt bath at 220 °C. The microstructure andconsequently the mechanical properties were altered afterquenching in different media. It is also shown that harden-ing of D2 steel in alkaline salt bath can result in higherstrength values than air cooling while there was no signifi-cant change in the impact energy of the samples.

RÉSUMÉ Dans ce travail, on compare la microstructure et les pro-priétés mécaniques de l’acier à outils AISI D2 après refroidissement àl’air ou après trempe dans un bain de sel alcalin (60 % KOH et 40 %NaOH). Les résultats ont montré que la dureté des échantillons trem-pés dans le bain de sel alcalin à différentes températures suivi d’unrevenu à 540 °C était plus élevée que la dureté de l’échantillonrefroidi à l’air. On a obtenu la dureté maximale, depuis la surfacejusqu’au centre des échantillons, par trempe dans le bain de sel à220 °C. La microstructure et, par conséquent, les propriétésmécaniques étaient altérées après la trempe dans différents médias.On montre également que l’endurcissement de l’acier D2 dans unbain de sel alcalin peut résulter en des valeurs plus élevées de résis-tance à la traction que lors du refroidissement à l’air alors qu’il n’yavait pas de changement important de l’énergie de rupture deséchantillons.

Evolution of primary α-Al particles during isothermal transformation of rheocast semi solid metal billets of A356 Al–Si alloyO. Lashkari, Bekaert Canada Limited, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada; and R. Ghomashchi, School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia

ABSTRACT Semi solid metal (SSM) processing is a relativelynew technology for metal forming, different from the conven-tional metal shaping technologies that use either solid orliquid metals as the starting material. Semi solid metal pro-cessing deals with semi solid slurries, in which non-dendriticsolid particles are dispersed in a liquid matrix. The solid vol-ume fraction could vary between 0.1–0.5 with apparentviscosity close to that of liquid state. The slurry flows easilyunder pressure and makes complicated shapes with highdegree of die filling and integrity. There are different ways toprepare SSM slurries including the application of direct orindirect mechanical stirring, chemical treatments of the melt,and manipulation of pouring temperature. One of the impor-tant parameters controlling the mechanical and flowcharacteristics of SSM billets is the morphology of the primarysolid phase, e.g. α-Al for Al–Si alloys. The morphological evo-lution of primary α-Al particles of SSM processed A356 Al–Sibillets is studied with variant soaking times, 0–480 s, at595°C, i.e. 0.33 fraction solid before the applied compressionforce. The effect of applied compression force of 33 kgf on theevolution of dendritic morphology was also investigated atthe same temperature and within the same holding timerange. The microstructure was characterised quantitativelyand showed that spheroidisation and coarsening are activeduring the course of treatment with the application of com-pressive forces bringing about further refinement.

RÉSUMÉ Le traitement de métal à l’état semi-solide (SSM) est unetechnologie relativement nouvelle de formage des métaux, dif-férente des technologies conventionnelles de façonnage desmétaux qui utilisent des métaux soit à l’état solide ou liquidecomme matériel de départ. Le traitement SSM traite des coulis àl’état semi-solide, dans lesquels des particules solides non-dendri-tiques sont dispersées dans une matrice liquide. La fractionvolumique du solide peut varier entre 0,1 et 0,5, avec une viscositéapparente proche de celle de l’état liquide. Le coulis s’écoule facile-ment sous pression en des formes compliquées avec un hautdegré de remplissage du moule et d’intégrité. Il existe différentesfaçons de préparer les coulis de SSM, incluant l’application d’agita-tion mécanique directe ou indirecte, les traitements chimiques dubain et la manipulation de la température de coulage. L’un desparamètres importants contrôlant les caractéristiques mécaniqueset d’écoulement des billettes de SSM est la morphologie de laphase solide primaire, par exemple Al-α dans les alliages d’Al–Si.On a étudié l’évolution morphologique des particules primairesd’Al-α de billettes traitées en SSM d’Al–Si A356, avec des tempsd’incubation variant de 0 à 480 s, à 595 °C – c’est-à-dire fractionsolide de 0,33 avant la force appliquée en compression. On a égale-ment examiné l’effet de la force de compression appliquée de 33 kgf sur l’évolution de la morphologie dendritique, à la mêmetempérature et dans la même gamme de temps de rétention. Ona caractérisé quantitativement la microstructure et l’on montreque la sphéroïdisation et le grossissement sont actifs tout au longdu traitement, l’application de forces compressives amenantdavantage d’affinement.


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IN THE NEXT ISSUE Phot

os: P

eter

Bra

ul

German miners have been known to greet each otherwith a good luck salutation: “Glück auf!” Translatedliterally to mean “luck open,” the greeting wishes for

the rock face to open before the miner and reveal its ore. It isa reference to the tale of Saint Barbara, the patron saint ofminers, who was once protected by a mountain rock face thatopened up to shelter her.

Saint Barbara has long beeninvoked for protection and goodluck in what was onceextremely dangerous work. Sheshares her feast day with Inter-national Miners Day, Dec. 4,which honours people whohave risked their lives workingin mines.

The tale of her sainthood is abrief but violent one. Saint Bar-bara was a young woman wholived around AD 300 in what isnow Turkey. Her father, a pagannobleman named Dio scorus, was an overprotective parentwho kept his daughter in atower to shield her from theoutside world. He was espe-cially concerned that she wouldcatch wind of a pesky religionknown as Christianity, whichwas outlawed at the time.

And yet even locked up shelearned – through divine inter-vention – about the Christianfaith. When Barbara confessedto her father that she had con-verted, he was so furious that hetried to kill her. Barbara man-aged to escape and ran to the nearby hills. It was here that arock face opened up for her and hid her in its cave.

Her father eventually found her, having been tipped off bya local shepherd, and dragged her to court, whichdenounced her as a heretic and had her tortured and impris-oned. Barbara’s wounds miraculously healed overnight, butthe next day she was sentenced to death and beheaded byher own father. Before the day was over, however, Barbara’smartyrdom would be avenged: her murderous father wasstruck and killed by lightning as he returned home.

In some versions of the tale, Barbara fled to a mine, wherethe miners hid and protected her as long as they could. Later,


as Barbara prayed in the hours before her death, she said aspecial prayer for all miners.

Still, miners cannot claim Saint Barbara exclusively forthemselves. Architects, engineers and craftsmen have alsoadopted her, drawn to the image of the tower in which shewas imprisoned. She also became the patron saint of geolo-

gists because of the mountainthat sheltered her. And her namehas long been invoked for protec-tion from lightning and by exten-sion fires, making her the chosensaint of firefighters.

This aspect of her divine pro-tection was adapted and modern-ized with the invention ofgunpowder and other explosives,which brought to mind the boltof lightning that avenged herdeath. Saint Barbara became thepatron saint of artillerymen, whofor years painted her image ontotheir munitions. When explo-sives were brought into themines, miners again invoked herfor protection.

Although Saint Barbara hasalways been a popular saint, herplace in the historical record isvery much in doubt. She is notmentioned in any early Chris-tian texts or writings aboutsaints and martyrs, and the ver-sions of her story vary greatly.She is, most likely, the productof myth and legend. The RomanCatholic Church recognized thisin 1969 when it revised its litur-

gical calendar and removed Saint Barbara, although shedid remain in the Church’s list of saints. It is not knownexactly when she was canonized, but it was probably in theseventh century.

The Orthodox Church has perhaps had a closer tie to thesaint. Fragments of her relics were first brought to Constan-tinople, and then to Kiev in 1108. In the 1950s they travelledyet again, this time to the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of St.Barbara in Edmonton, Alberta.

The authenticity of Saint Barbara’s story can be debated,but she will always play a special role in the tradition andmythology of the mining industry. CIM

Saint Barbara: the patron saint of minersBy Correy Baldwin

Saint Barbara has long been invoked by miners around the world for goodluck and protection.

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Documents

CIM Magazine March-April 2015