Message from the MTD Board Chairman

Welcome to the second Newsletter we have produced this year for members of the Mining Technology Division of IOM3.

As this is a new venture for the editing team, we would welcome any feedback you may have on the first newsletter, especially suggested improvements, and perhaps even contributions that might be of interests to members and which could be included in the future. This applies to both news items or just mining items of general interest.

I hope that you have also had a chance to look at the recent changes and additions we have made to the Division website. Once again, please let us know what you think could be improved.

We are now entering the Christmas period. Mining never really stops for Christmas because there is always an opportunity to work on that special project whilst production is reduced or halted. Mines are also special “animals” which cannot be ignored and that require much attention 24/7 so, Christmas can be a busy time for you all.

However, on behalf of all my colleagues on the MTD Board, I would like to send to you and your families, seasons greetings and our best wishes for a successful 2017.

Christine BalckmoreIOM3 MTD Chairman

Mining Technology DivisionWinter Newsletter 2016/2017

In this issue...

Technical Library and Information Services: why, where and who/how? - Frances PerryMTD International Connection and Why it is Important to Keep us Included - Andy BirtlesDevelopment Strategy - Simon BrookesThe Right Formula - Stephen Benbow Mining and Mineral Processing in Europe 2016 Conference

Technical Library and Information Services: why, where and who/how?

A quick glance at the “Technical Information” section of the IOM3 website may raise more questions than it answers! Why is there such different provision for members of the material divisions and the mineral divisions?

Where (if anywhere) is the easy-access electronic resource? All you want to know is (let’s say) a bit of technical information on using slags in paste backfill or in treating acid mine drainage, but whom/how do you ask?

Right, let’s investigate further:

Why technical papers, not technical specialists?For purely historical reasons! Information on metals, polymers, ceramics and composites is provided by the information team giving direct advice from their professional experience or signposting members on to the appropriate body, whereas information on minerals and their extraction is given by reference to the technical literature collected and subject-indexed over the past century or more. That’s because by 2002, when IOM and IMM merged, the latter was continuing to maintain its technical library whereas the former had gone down a different path.

Why not scan and put it online?The good news is that we’re about to scan all the Institute’s own publications, including those of the IMM and IMinE, to make them directly available to members online. It’ll take a while, but the pilot project is well under way and it’ll be the minerals and mining publications that will be done first, because a platform’s already available to host them – OneMine, which already includes the publications of several of the other Institutes of Mining and Metallurgy (SME, AusIMM, SAIMM etc.)

The bad news is that we can’t scan the rest of the library – logistically it would be a colossal task but in any case legally most of the material isn’t ours to copy! Even pre-war material is often still

in copyright; think about it – if a young journalist or academic retained the copyright of something published in 1916 or even as early as 1906, there’s a fair chance they were still alive by 1946 or long after – and copyright now lasts for 70 years after the author’s death.

So apologies, we can’t give you electronic access to the entire text of every book, journal or conference volume in the library, much as we’d love to!

Where is the library nowadays if it’s not in London?It’s all in Grantham now, serials/journals in The Boilerhouse and the rest 150 yards away in the new library unit (excitingly known as Unit 17). Grantham’s an hour north of King’s Cross and The Boilerhouse is 15 minutes walk from the station.

It’s still in London! That is, if what you need is limited to what Frances (our sturdy pack-horse) can carry on her back from Grantham twice a week. I’ve a shelf in the Members’ Area on the fourth floor of 297 Euston Road where I currently have volumes being used by three different library visitors who come in to consult them. When you’ve finished, I can take them back.

It’s at your desk! Loans, photocopies and online access to references and abstracts are still very much available, subject to postal and photocopying charges.

Where’s the online access on the web site?Before you look for anything, log in at www.iom3.org using your member username and PIN. Once you’ve done that, follow the prompts under “Publications – journals” www.iom3.org/journals for your free access to the full text of papers in the Institution’s technical journals (in your case, Mineral Processing and Extractive Metallurgy) from about 2002 onwards, or “Publications – IMMAGE” www.iom3.org/immage-reference-database-international-minerals-industry for your free access to references and technical abstracts of relevant library content from about 1979 onwards.

How do I find the answer I need right now?Log in and search IMMAGE and/or ring or email Frances on 020 7451 7324 (Grantham library 01476 573 968) or Frances.Perry@iom3.org. For the slag in paste backfill/AMD treatment I gave as examples, start with a global-text search of IMMAGE (put the search phrase in speech marks first, but remove them if nothing comes up) and use that to choose keywords for a more targeted search e.g. I just tried Global Text: slag in paste backfill, flicked through the 16 abstracts, noted that their keywords included “slags”, “backfilling”, “cemented fill” and “paste fill”, then set the field to Keywords and tried out a few (using brackets and and/or/not if needed, or * to truncate) - Keywords: slags AND backfilling – 45 references and abstracts; Keywords: slags and paste fill – 10; Keywords: slags and paste* – ah! – that’s added another 3 on properties of the paste; Keywords: slags and (paste fill or cemented fill) – 34; Global Text: slag ARD treatment – only 2; notice keyword is “acid mine drainage”; search Keywords: slags and acid mine drainage – 23 references and abstracts. Sounds far too complicated? Ring or email me to ask!

How can I improve future provision?Remember to keep using your library/information service.

Ideally, get your company to subscribe to IMMAGE too, so your non-member colleagues have access and support the service financially.

Keep giving me plenty of feedback – I need to know, for example, whether you’d rather we kept the link between IMMAGE and library (i.e. everything on IMMAGE is available from the library) or whether you’d prefer more IMMAGE coverage of other online journals, papers and reports that you can then get hold of yourself.

Offer to donate any journals or conference proceedings you no longer need to have immediately to hand - so that everyone can benefit from their technical content over future decades!

Vounteer to pilot-test our scanned publications for OneMine as and when required.

And if you have any other suggestions, let me know!

Frances Perry

MTD International Connection and Why it is Important to Keep us Included

In the Autumn Newsletter Pat Foster wrote that the IMMa (The International Mining & Minerals Association) was created as a means deal with Institute business that was common to the four resource related divisions (AES, MTD, MPEM and O&G) as well as supporting the maintenance and forging of links with other organisations to promote the objectives of the Institute and the interests of the members of these resource divisions, and through them the minerals and energy industries both at home and overseas.

Meetings have been held to focus IMMa specific activity for the future, including the Institute’s place on the Global Minerals Professionals Alliance (a group comprising all the international minerals associations such as the AusIMM, SAIMM, CIM and SME).

As a Member of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, I am keen to maintain and improve these links with the Recognised Overseas Professional Organisations (ROPOs as defined in the JORC Code (2012 Edition)), Recognised Professional Organisations (RPOs as defined in the SAMREC Code (2016 Edition)), or Professional Associations (as defined in the Canadian National Instrument NI43-101). Other Codes for the Reporting of Mineral Resources and Mineral/Ore Reserves developed under the auspices of CRIRSCO also refer to International Professional Organisations.

There are many instances where professionals in the mining industry can benefit from initiatives developed in other (mainly English speaking) countries. Many internet searches on particular topics relating to the mining industry issues highlight journals and papers published by, or under the auspices of, the SAIMM, AusIMM, CIM, SME, etc. These publications also lead to additional links to organisations linked to these International Professional Organisations (SIMRAC, SACMA, CSIRO, CSIR, FFF, USGS, tertiary education institutions etc) where additional information can be found assisting us to solve a particular problem on which we are working. While the topics may not be appropriate to mining in the UK, let us not forget that many of our members, active in the mining industry, practice or consult outside of the UK. Many of the operations or projects on which our members work can benefit from the experience presented by members of these international organisations.

It is the intention of the MTD to align itself with these closer links with overseas Professional Organisations to improve the flow of technical information to our (collective) members, and to keep ourselves informed of events, conferences, innovations, operational improvements etc experienced by everyone working in the global mining industry.

Andy Birtles

Development Strategy

In September of 2015, the Council of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers agreed to turn down an offer to purchase its building and to adopt a Development Strategy that could be a ‘last chance’ to retain the integrity of the original building and allow the Institute’s own programme and collection to remain there. It was able to do this because of a Transitional Funding Award from the Heritage Lottery Fund and additional support from the Reece Foundation.

As a starting point, NEIMME Council embraced a new Vision for the future and issued a challenge that it proceeded to address with energy.

The VisionThe North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers – founded to address the safe and effective exploitation of the natural resources of the North East – will create as a legacy a new Institute dedicated to exploring the future of that Region, its people and the distinctive contribution it could make to the global as well as regional consequences of the Industrial Revolution that began – and ended – here.

The ChallengeIf a future for the building could be found that:• Delivered a range of public benefits to the North East in line with the Vision• Indicated – believably – that capital funds could be raised to restore and adapt the fabric of the building and conserve the collection

• Demonstrated that a sustainable business model could be found to operate the building and deliver the public benefits• Guaranteed support for NEIMME’s own programme in perpetuity.

Then NEIMME was prepared – in principle – to transfer its assets of property, collection and staff to a new charitable entity charged with stewardship of those assets and the delivery of a programme of public benefits.

The strategy hinged and was dependent on the success of a sequence of further applications to be made to the Heritage Lottery Fund to provide a newly renovated building, reorganised collection, new governance structure and a programme of activities. These would – in turn – deliver the substantial ‘benefit to heritage and to the people and communities of the North East’ needed to justify a very substantial award from the HLF, nationally.

Key to success would be the submission of a compelling case and high quality applications in what is acknowledged to be a highly competitive environment. Our Phase One Heritage Grant“Development” application was submitted on the 4th of August with a decision expected in mid to late November.

Simon Brookes

The Right Formula

Health, safety, medical support and training in any remote healthcare setting, such as a mine, is vital where specialists care is needed and could be crucial to a situation. Therefore, remote medical care is important to ensure clinical standards are maintained and developed to fill the gap. Getting it right is like a formula in chemistry, too little or too much can both be deadly and costly.

Getting the right formula is no accident as Stephen Benbow, Head of Clinical governance and professional development at Medilink International based in Malta, former university lecturer and Health and Safety manager in Formula 1(F1) explains. He explains how remote healthcare in motor sport can be applied to other operations, such as mining.

In the early days of motor sport, back in the 1920s and 30s, racing drivers relied on personal protection equipment (PPE) comprising nothing more than a leather helmet, goggles, a tweed jacket – and a swig of bubbly before “the off”. Spectators were protected from spinning cars by bales of hay, mechanics worked on the cars wearing oily shirts and boiler suits. These days, motor sport continues to thrill the masses around the world, but safety now comes top of the priority list, and stringent health and safety regulations and standards are firmly in place at race venues or similar to where you work, perhaps on remote sites. Behind the scenes in F1, a dedicated medical team of over seventy staff will operate the remote clinic at the race circuit and the three miles of track ensuring a

medic will be on scene in under ninety seconds. The late professor Sid Watkins, had a visionary approach to modern medical response in the often austere and remote locations of a race circuit. The medical model developed identified core competencies scenario`s involved in a medical emergency on any continent (land, sea or air). The example provided shows how clinical support, can be achieved no matter the geographical location.

As in F1, on remote sites, immediately as the incident emerges, the emergency response team will be mobilised while the sick or injured person, is being treated by a first responder trained in life saving emergency care; The clinic staff firstly will be getting ready to receive an individual or multiple casualties at the same time notifying the emergency alarm centre; critical thinking and decision making is key to ensure we get the right patient to the right

hospital. What that means, if you have a serious head injury, is that the clinical pathway may be to stabilise locally then mobilise internationally by air ambulance. However, experience prepares us for prolonged field care as there are many aspects to efficient retrieval and transfers. This proven formula provides a continuous system of care that is focused around the casualty or patient. The support offered by a dedicated reach back / topside team, will be looking for bed and surgical availability; for which, you might notice several casualties being transferred to different hospitals in different countries. The topside alarm centre will be firstly ensuring patient safety, reviewing the hospital has the appropriate systems and services in place, as well as ensuring guarantee of payment to avoid any

delay in treatment, with a multilingual team ensuring patient advocacy no matter the receiving region of hospital. This is often within a third party role for the client and their insurance providing seamless service, which allows the attending clinicians to concentrate on a casualty centred approach and not worry about operational or clinical logistics.

Ideally, medical response, occupational health and emergency training should develop in line with, medical procedures and technology that constantly improves the current standards of care, so that if you are injured or sick, you know you are getting the best and current treatment available in the world.

All remote medics in all remote location clinics should have the same advanced and specialist life-saving skills when attending medical

emergencies, a good level of understanding of all the occupational risks associated with remote industrial projects; be they onshore, offshore, mining, oil and gas. The core competencies of remote medics are currently being reviewed by a range of regulating bodies; therefore it is important to ensure that the medics have recognised clinical qualifications, professional registration and supporting education and development.

Stephen Benbow (Medilink International)

MTD editorial team is headed by Christine Blackmore and Rod Stace.If you have any comment on the newsletter, would like to know more about us or would like to contribute, please contact us using the IOM3, we shall be happy to help you.

Mining and Mineral Processing in Europe 2016 Conference

The Mining Technology Division (MTD) held a very successful one-day conference “Mining and Mineral Processing in Europe 2016” at IOM3 HQ (297 Euston Road, London) on Wednesday 12 October 2016. The conference is the first in a series of one day events that MTD hopes to organise in the future. The event was well attended with over 50 delegates representing all branches of the mining industry – mining companies, equipment manufacturers, bankers and financial service providers, consultants, research institutions, universities and students. Nine presentations were followed by lively discussion and showcased what is happening in mining and mineral processing in Europe today.

The presentations included:• “The Contribution of EU Funded R&I Programmes to the Renaissance of the European Mining Industry” by Dr Chris Broadbent (Wardell Armstrong International); • “Mineralogical Constraints for Success (or Failure) in Mineral Processing” by Professor Reimar Seltmann (Natural History Museum);• “A Discussion on the Technical Development of Mining Projects in Europe, Focussing on Minerals

Processing, Minerals Handling and Associated Infrastructure with Specific Project Examples” by Joe Russell (GBM); • “Mining financing: EBRD approach” by Ulmas Musaliev (European Bank of Reconstruction and Development);• “Bigger is NOT better… be the BEST” by Andrew Fulton (ICL Boulby Potash);• “Rule of Thumb” by Robin Dean (Wardell Armstrong International); • “Introduction of High Production, Low Seam Longwall Equipment Technology” by Adrian Carley (JOY Global Inc);• “Working with International Standards and Practices and the Value of Auditing in the Mining Environment” by Merlin Thomas (Gold Mine General Manager); and• “Research and Development in Mining and Minerals – a UK Case Study” by Dr Alec Marshall (University of Nottingham).

The audience, mostly from the UK but with delegates from Europe and South America as well generated much lively discussion and all agreed it was a valuable day. Indeed, Ms Christine Blackmore, Chairman of the MTD commented afterwards – “the amount of discussion generated by the papers was particularly satisfying and demonstrated the need for this kind of “workshop event” within the industry. Hopefully, this will be the first of many such events that MTD can organise. One of the important factors that came out of the conference was the extent to which Europe is open to the idea of mining these days, whereas in the past there seemed to be lots of opposition to new mining operations”.