March 2021 v| miningglobal.

com

Newmont:
The Future
of Mining
CIO Luis Canepari is
digitally transforming
the mining life cycle
FIND OUT MORE

Silvercorp:
Mining a Bright
Future in China
READ NOW

AI: The Power to

Discover, Operate, WOMEN IN
Maintain and Predict MINING
READ NOW FIND OUT
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 EDITOR'S LETTER

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING DIRECTOR

DOMINIC ELLIS LEWIS VAUGHAN Is mining immune to COVID-19?
EDITORAL DIRECTOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
That’s not to diminish the impact
SCOTT BIRCH JORDAN HUBBARD that the pandemic has had on
CREATIVE TEAM MEDIA SALES DIRECTOR companies and staff, but written in
OSCAR HATHAWAY MARK CAWSTON the context of some eye-catching
SOPHIA FORTE
2020 results recently released by
HECTOR PENROSE SALES AND MARKETING

SAM HUBBARD
DIRECTOR
Rio Tinto and BHP, and bumper
JASON WESTGATE
MIMI GUNN dividend payouts to shareholders.
JUSTIN SMITH CHIEF OPERATIONS
OFFICER
PRODUCTION STACY NORMAN You would have to draw the conclusion that, compared
DIRECTORS
GEORGIA ALLEN PRESIDENT & CEO with many industries, mining looks in good shape. Rising
DANIELA GLEN WHITE iron ore and copper prices have certainly played their
KIANICKOVÁ
part, fuelling cash flows, and operators have embraced
PRODUCTION
MANAGERS
remote monitoring and new technologies, such as
OWEN MARTIN wearables, which are enhancing efficiencies and safety.
PHILLINE VICENTE Analysts at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Fitch
JENNIFER SMITH
Solutions and Capital Economics are now warning prices
PRODUCTION EDITOR are likely to fall in the second half of 2021 as policymakers
JANET BRICE
de-prioritise growth in China’s commodityintensive sectors.
VIDEO PRODUCTION But then again, countries embarking on infrastructure-led
MANAGER
KIERAN WAITE post-pandemic recoveries will need plenty of minerals; as
DIGITAL VIDEO
with so much of 2020, strategizing looks a difficult science.
PRODUCERS Whether the economic momentum is maintained or
SAM KEMP
reversed, the demand signs point towards production
EVELYN HUANG
MATTHEW EVANS growth. With soaring demand for lithium with the boom
TYLER in electric vehicles, and the rebound in Asia, there are
LIVINGSTONE
grounds for more optimism and growth.
DIGITAL MARKETING
EXECUTIVE
Yet with the industry responsible for 4-7 percent
KAYLEIGH of greenhouse gas emissions globally, pressure from
SHOOTER governments, investors, and society to reduce them
GRETA
ANDREJEVAITE will not let up. More electrification, decarbonisation and
partnerships will be essential. The to-and-fro with the
PROJECT DIRECTORS
GLEN WHITE
UK’s Cumbria coal mine project illustrates the challenges
LEWIS VAUGHAN of squaring economic and environmental matters.
MICHAEL BANYARD Smart executives will continue to prepare, not predict
STUART IRVING
KRIS PALMER – and focus their attention on digital transformation,
MIKE SADR automation and analytics, ensuring they are equipped
for all eventualities.
MINING GLOBAL MAGAZINE
IS PUBLISHED BY
DOMINIC ELLIS
dominic.ellis@bizclikmedia.com

© 2021 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Miningglobal.com 3
 CONTENTS

07 Big Picture
Move over Tesla – and say hello to
the world’s largest EV Elektro Dumper

08 The Brief
By the numbers. Three of the best
for Glencore. Cumbria coal mine.
Ups and downs

10 Global News
Mining news from around the world
in the last month.
18
12 People Moves
Who is moving around the mining
employment world

14 Timeline
Rio Tinto & BHP, profit and earning
curves for the mining giants

16 Five Mins With...

Ren Zhengfei
28

36

16
4 March 2021
 CONTENTS

48

72
18 Newmont
Making Technology the Future
of Mining

28 Ai in Mining
AI: The Power to Discover,
Operate, Maintain and Predict

36 Silvercorp Metals
Mining a Bright Future in China

48 Industry X.O
Autonomous Trucks Boost
Productivity and Attract Funding

56 CRU Group
Data-driven commodities digital
transformation

72 Technology
Smart mining era Benefits from
Digital Solutions

82 Source to Pay
Automation and Digital Key
to Post-COVID Procurement

56 88 Top 10
Women in Mining

Miningglobal.com 5
THE PROFESSIONAL
DRILLING EXPERIENCE
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globally experienced, highly focused and motivated
multinational team from the drilling industry. With a
success-oriented team our aim is to give our clients
“the professional drilling experience”.

ADVERT PAGE
DRILLING CONSULTANCY

MEDIA SALE
EQUIPMENT SUPPLY

VISIT OUR SITE

CONTACT US

6 March 2021
 BIG PICTURE
Elektro Dumper
Move over Tesla – and say
hello to the world’s largest EV.
The Elektro Dumper is a converted
mining truck and product of a partnership
between Kuhn Schweitz and Lithium Stor-
age, which can carry up to 62 tonnes of
lime and marl when operating at a quarry
in Biel, Switzerland.
The Komatsu HD605-7 base machine is
powered by a 710 kWh lithium ion battery
and in the current operation, records diesel
savings of about 44.8t annually, equivalent
to 140t CO2 reduction.
It produces its own energy through
regenerative braking on downhill runs
and can motor up to 38kmh, while its
tyres alone are six foot high.
Turn to page 48 to read more on
autonomous vehicles and how they
are revolutionising mining.
Miningglobal.com 7
THE BRIEF
“We will have to create
deeper mines in the
future. We can’t send
BY THE NUMBERS
humans to these Kaz Minerals’ increased cash offer:
depths and automation
will be the only option”
Prof. David Sjödin,
Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship
640p 780p
and Innovation at the Luleå University of
Technology in Sweden
October February

2020 2021
READ MORE

“The mining sector

can only benefit
from adopting digital
technologies and data
analytics to optimise
the efficiency and
effectiveness of
mines” Three of the best for Glencore
Boris Ivanov, Production dipped in most categories
Global Commodities Expert
 for the mining giant in 2020 but not:

Zinc Gold Silver

READ MORE

“It’s possible for any Up 9% to Up 3% to Up 2% to

company to get a 1,170.4kt 916koz 32,766koz
good amount of
value from AI if it’s
applied effectively Did you know? 90% of mining executives
in a repeatable way”
continue to process data manually and
Michael Chui,
Partner, McKinsey Global Institute only 11% use a digital platform (The State
of Contractor Management in the Mining


READ MORE
Industry report from MCi)
8 March 2021
 ACQUISITIONS
 XIMEN MINING
CORP.
has acquired the
Running Wolf gold
property located 20kms
west of Cranbrook in U
P
the Fort Steele Mining
Division in southern
British Columbia.

 GR SILVER MINING
has signed a definitive
S
UPS AND DOWNS binding Share Purchase
Agreement to buy
Marlin Gold Mining

Cumbria coal mine

from Mako, with the
transaction expected
to close by the end of
Background Last October, Cumbria
County Council voted 12-3 in favour of the
March.
MAR21
Woodhouse Colliery in Whitehaven, which  TACORA
will generate 500 jobs, bring much-needed RESOURCES,
investment and mark the UK’s first coal mine the iron ore and mineral
in 30 years. processing company
What’s the UK government’s position? They
didn’t overrule the decision, saying planning
decisions should be made at a local level
based out of Grand
Rapids, Minnesota, has
bought Sydvaranger
D
wherever possible.
What’s been the reaction? Environmentalists
Mining and its
subsidiaries. O
W
say the mine is incompatible with Britain’s
greenhouse gas emission targets – especially
with the Cop26 conference coming up in
Glasgow in November. That’s led Cumbria
County Council to back track and reconsider
 $2BN FINE FOR
NORNICKEL N
S
its planning permission decision. A Russian court has
What’s lost in the noise? The mine will ordered MMC Norilsk
actually produce coking coal that will be Nickel (Nornickel),
used for steel production – so it could be which was involved in
more emissions-friendly than importing a massive Arctic fuel
raw materials from overseas, plus have a spill last year, to pay
knock-on effect in supporting operations approximately $1.96
and jobs at Port Talbot. billion in compensation.

Miningglobal.com 9
GLOBAL NEWS
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Kore Mining spin off

Kore Mining is to spin off its

British Columbia exploration
assets under Karus Gold
Corp, following overwhelming
shareholder approval, which
will now raise seed capital in
a rights offering.

MEXICO
GR Silver Mining buys
Marlin Gold Mining
GR Silver Mining has signed
a definitive binding Share
Purchase Agreement to buy
Marlin Gold Mining from Mako,
with the transaction expected to
close by the end of March.
NEVADA, WESTERN US
Abacus starts diamond
drilling
Abacus Mining & Exploration
Corporation is about to start
a diamond drilling program at
Jersey Valley, within the Battle
Mountain trend of north-central
Nevada. Four holes will be
drilled, ranging in depth from
250-300 metres.

10 March 2021
UK

Controversial Cumbria
coal mine gets go ahead
but uncertainty remains
A controversial coal mine in
Cumbria is set to move forwards
following the UK government’s
refusal to intervene in the
planning process for the project,
meaning the country could have
its first new colliery in 30 years.
INDIA
India’s Larsen & Toubro
lands largest mining
equipment order
The Construction and Mining
Equipment business of Larsen &
Toubro (L&T) has secured one of
the biggest orders in its history
to supply 46 units of Komatsu
Mining Equipment to Tata Steel.

QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA

New safety sensors

New sensors made from silicon

carbide, under development
at University of Southern
Queensland in Toowoomba,
Australia, are 5-100 times
smaller than the width of a
single human hair. Six years in
the making, they can withstand
heat up to 600 degrees Celsius.

Miningglobal.com 11
PEOPLE MOVES
"I am truly
delighted and
humbled to
be given the
opportunity
to lead this
tremendous
company"

JAKOB
STAUSHOLM
FROM: RIO TINTO
TO: RIO TINTO

WAS: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

& CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
NOW: CHIEF EXECUTIVE

The 52-year-old Dane replaced

incumbent Jean-Sebastien Jacques
in January. Prior to joining Rio
Tinto, Jakob was the Chief Strategy,
Finance and Transformation Officer
for the Maersk Group, with oversight
of the Group’s strategy, digitisation,
IT, legal as well as the transformation
and shared services functions.

12 March 2021
 JACO CROUSE
FROM: DETOUR GOLD CORP
TO: AEX GOLD INC

WAS: CFO
NOW: CFO

Jaco Crouse has replaced George Fowlie

who has stepped down as the CFO but
remains on the AEX Gold Board as a Director.
A seasoned mining executive with nearly
20 years’ experience, the board intends to
propose Crouse as a director of the company
at the next annual general meeting.

CYNTHIA CARROLL
FROM: BAKER HUGHES AND PEMBINA
PIPELINE CORPORATION
TO: GLENCORE

WAS: NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OF HITACHI
NOW: INDEPENDENT NON-EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR

Cynthia Carroll has over 30 years’ experience

in the resources sector. She began her career
as an exploration geologist at Amoco before
joining Alcan, and held various executive
roles, culminating in CEO of the Primary Metal
Group, Alcan’s core business. From 2007-2013
she served as CEO of Anglo American.

Miningglobal.com 13
TIMELINE
RIO TINTO PROFIT AND
EARNING

& BHP
CURVES FOR
MINING GIANTS
TINTO
RIO

Underlying earnings Underlying earnings

for 2016:  for 2017: 

$5.1bn  $8.6bn

2016 2017
BHP

BHP Billiton Full year attributable

full-year loss 2016:  profit 2017: 

$6.4bn $5.9bn

14 March 2021
Underlying earnings Underlying earnings Underlying earnings
for 2018:  for 2019:  for 2020:

$8.8bn $10.37bn $12.4bn

2018 2019 2020

Full year attributable Full year attributable Attributable profit full

profit 2018: profit 2019:  year to June 30 2020:

$3.7bn $8.3bn $8bn

Miningglobal.com 15
FIVE MINS WITH...

REN
ZHENGFEI
16 March 2021
"In 2020, we illuminated one coal
mine, one iron and steel plant, and one
port. Over the next two to three years,
we aim to illuminate hundreds of coal
mines, iron and steel plants, and ports"
Ren Zhengfei established in the coal industry deliver more
Huawei with a capital of social value (other novel commercial
CNY21,000 in 1987. He Shanxi's
avenues the company is exploring
became CEO in 1988 and mines reduce include adopting AI for pig farming).
has held the title ever since staffing in fully
mechanized
Huawei is also working with industry
– and today has a net worth and intelligent partners to develop compact wireless
of around $1.5 billion mining
scenarios by
base stations that are resistant to
dampness, dust, and explosions,
While more synonymous with
consumer tech, Huawei has bold
60% and support a 3:1 uplink/downlink
bandwidth ratio.
and the number
plans for the mining sector – recently of workers Envisioning a more digitized era
opening an Intelligent Mining going down for coal mining, Zhengfei foresees
to mining pits
Innovation Lab in Taiyuan, Shanxi each shift by workers “will wear suits and ties at
Province, together with Jinneng work, with fewer workers, greater
Holding Group, Shanxi Cloud Era 10%- safety and higher efficiency.”

20%
Technology Co and Shanxi ZhiChuang The lab ultimately aims to help
City Technology Development Co. Shanxi's mines reduce staffing in fully
The lab will be staffed with 220 ICT mechanized and intelligent mining
and coal mining experts, seeking to scenarios by 60% and the number of
make breakthroughs in areas such as workers going down to mining pits
information networks, automation each shift by 10%- 20%.
enablement, intelligent sensing
technologies, and big data generated
by coal mines, as well as related
"Workers will wear
suits and ties at work,
ecosystem collaboration opportunities.
In addition to promoting digital
transformation of the global coal
industry, Huawei has announced with fewer workers,
its intention to act as "a technology greater safety and
higher efficiency"
enabler", working with partners to
create healthy industry and business
ecosystems and helping its customers

Miningglobal.com 17
 NEWMONT

Luis Canepari
CIO, Newmont

18 March 2021
 NEWMONT

Newmont:
MAKING TECHNOLOGY
THE FUTURE
OF MINING
How the world’s leading gold miner is digitally
transforming to rethink the mining life cycle,
unlock productivity, improve safety, reduce costs
and support sustainability

WRITTEN BY: PRODUCED BY:

DAN BRIGHTMORE GLEN WHITE

N
ewmont’s considered implementation
of technology is a key part of the
digital journey towards operational
efficiency and sustainability across its global
operations. Chief Information Officer, Luis
Canepari, is championing the company’s digital
transformation efforts as it seeks to embrace
automation and electrification.
Automation providing opportunities for reskilling and
“The era of manual processes in mining is over,”
states Canepari. “Blasting, drilling, hauling, the
processes at mills – all will become increasingly
automated over the next 20 years. Whether
we like it or not as an industry, that's where
we're going to have to go if we want to
remain competitive.”
The process of automation is well underway
at Newmont’s Boddington Mine in Australia,
which will be the first open pit gold mine in
the world with an autonomous haul truck fleet
(AHS). Boddington’s autonomous haulage
trucks feature rigorous safety controls to
reduce employee exposure to potential
vehicle interactions. Newmont is also executing
a robust people strategy at Boddington,
redeployment of haul truck drivers to other
roles supporting the AHS.
Artificial Intelligence
“Artificial intelligence and predictive analytics
go hand-in-hand with automation,” adds
Canepari. “Access to data is key for our

Miningglobal.com 19
 NEWMONT
Luis Canepari: Newmonts biggest challenges
operations. Correlating our drill data with
the block modelling allows us to make faster
decisions based on real insights. If you look at
the success ratio for exploration in mining, it's
pretty low; if we can improve that by a couple
of percentage points, it will have a significant
impact on our reserves. With data being
generated across our organization, the ability
to use artificial intelligence to tell us where our
next drill site should be is a game-changer.”
Digital Transformation
Compared to other industries, mining has been
slow to adapt to new technologies. Canepari
pledges Newmont is aiming to rethink the
mining lifecycle. “We’ve had a huge success
with our first electrified mine at Borden, and
we’re taking all the lessons learned from
projects like these, and making them part of
our Newmont mining model. Every new mine
we're building, we're trying to re-create that
digital transformation experience from our
other mines.”
20 March 2021
Rapid Discovery with IBM
Digital transformation has been a major
undertaking for the IT department at
Newmont. “The partnership with vendors like
IBM, supports our work to consolidate our
systems and further realize the synergies we
have across the business since the acquisition
of Goldcorp in 2019.”
IBM was brought in through a rigorous RFP
process. “We demonstrated to Newmont
that we would bring top talent, and keep
them there, to effect the changes needed
successfully and bring these two companies’
systems together across finance, master data
and supply chain management,” recalls Gene
Allen, a Partner at IBM Global Business Services.
“We had to learn how to dance together. We
are both 100-year-old companies, but we used
Rapid Discovery, an Enhance Program Launch
and Agile methodology to help us deliver
successfully together smoothly and efficiently.”
IBM implemented Rapid Discovery to
support this delivery. “We were looking at
 NEWMONT

the five-year roadmap for Newmont to plan

how everything should be sequenced and
budgeted to accelerate this digital journey
together,” explains Allen. Because change is
rapid in the mining industry, it was important
to identify the different constituencies in
Newmont and how the move to a digital core
should be sequenced to modernize, eliminate
redundancies and sequence their systems
changes in years to come.”
Canepari highlights that Newmont
piggybacked on IBM’s M&A experience to
place all systems into one single landscape.
“Rapid Discovery was about bringing our key
stakeholders together across every business
function for the most optimal outcome.”
Operational & Technological Alignment
Canepari’s team are focused on catering to all
stakeholders, from the mining sites to the back
office. “We build trust and reliability. For us to
enable automation, AI and push forward with
this digital transformation our system needs
to be reliable, even during a global pandemic,
and our networks need to remain operational
at all sites, no matter how remote their
locations,” he says.
LUIS CANEPARI
TITLE: CIO
INDUSTRY: MINING
LOCATION: USA
Luis Canepari joined Newmont
in April 2019 as Vice President
and Chief Information Officer; having
most recently served as Goldcorp’s Vice
President, Technology since 2012.
As CIO, Luis leads Newmont’s
information technology organization and
is responsible for driving and overseeing
enterprise-wide plans to further realize
value from Newmont’s strategic business
and technology investments.
Luis has a history of leading major
transformation and innovation initiatives.
He was honored with a 2017 CIO 100
Award for business and technology
innovation, and the 2014 Business in
Vancouver Forty Under 40 Award.
Before joining Goldcorp, Luis was
Director of Engineering and Construction
at AES Corporation, responsible for
leading major capital projects in Latin
America and recognized for his significant

“With the migration community contributions. Prior to

that, he held various IT leadership
of all our systems roles at AES and ExxonMobil

to the cloud, we’ve

Corporation. Luis holds an MBA
from Georgetown University. He

managed to shut
EXECUTIVE BIO

also holds a Bachelor in Science

in Systems Engineering
down five data from Universidad

centers already.”
Metropolitana. He is also
a Certified Information
Security Manager and a
Certified Information
LUIS CANEPARI
CIO, Security Auditor.
NEWMONT

Miningglobal.com 21
 NEWMONT
SUSTAINABILITY
Technology will continue to
support Newmont’s sustainability
efforts as the business looks to develop
onsite renewable power generation and
energy efficiencies. It’s all part of a new
ethos for the business spearheaded
by CEO Tom Palmer. The work from
home/work from anywhere paradigm
prompted by the global pandemic
has seen Newmont, like many other
businesses, embrace proven methods
of business interaction offering the
flexibility that connects the boots on
the ground to the boardroom. How the
business is powered, both by people
and fuel, is under constant review.
“Both new and existing mines are going
to significantly reduce our emissions
in the future. We have committed to
DID YOU KNOW...
a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions by 2030, with an
aspiration of reaching net zero carbon
emissions by 2050,” says Canepari.
“It’s one of our biggest priorities and
will be supported by the continued
electrification of our mines.”
22 March 2021
The pressure of the global pandemic has
allowed Canepari’s IT team to test out new
ideas. “With so many of us working remotely
it's been the biggest experiment for remote
operations that we’ve ever had as a company,”
he notes.
“We have thousands of employees working
from home. It has completely shifted the
mindset from the idea that we all needed to
be sitting at the mine site. This past challenging
year has given us the opportunity to learn
how to make our operations more efficient.
Everything we’ve invested in, is beginning
to pay off. We have resilient networks and
a reliable infrastructure backbone that allows
us to work remotely. And now that we have
tested them to the fullest, we can factor these
into our operations.
Working remotely is also enabling
Newmont’s IT organization to attract
a more diverse workforce and overcome the
challenge of what Canepari identifies as the
misconceptions around the risks of a job in
the mining industry. “By widening the net for
outsourcing we’ll be able to attract even more
talent to our IT organization.”
Strategic Partnerships
Consolidating the approach to partnerships
since the merger with Goldcorp has been
vital for Canepari and his team. “At the end of
the day, more than half of my IT organization
is outsourced,” he says. “Therefore, it’s really
important to work with the right partners to
create lasting collaborations that can support
ERP and our business transformation. Our
partners are helping us drive the outcomes
we’re expecting in the short term. They allow
us to scale and de-scale, depending on our
needs. Just as important is how they culturally
fit with our organization. We aim to work with
companies who can easily adapt to our style
and understand our requirements for a higher
 NEWMONT

Luis Canepari: Newmonts Digital transformation

level of detail. It is that higher level of detail that

keeps our employees safe.” “Blasting, drilling,
To leverage automation and artificial
intelligence, a robust and stable network
hauling, the
is key. Newmont is working with Starlink
and other private LTE providers to enable
processes
connectivity across all areas of its mines and
at remote exploration sites across the globe.
at mills – all
“Starlink doesn’t rely on traditional ground aspect of mining
will become
infrastructure,” says Canepari. “This type
of satellite connectivity can deliver high-

increasingly
speed broadband internet ensuring the
low latency that can support our efforts in

automated over
remote locations.”

the next 20 years.”

Innovation in the cloud
“The migration to SAP S/4HANA and bringing
our infrastructure to the hybrid cloud - has
given us more agility; we can deliver projects
LUIS CANEPARI
faster and move more rapidly,” reveals CIO,
Canepari. “It also gives us the opportunity NEWMONT
to experiment with proven tools from
other industries. We’re getting out of the

Miningglobal.com 23
 NEWMONT

Luis Canepari: Newmonts Latest Achievements

“Borden’s electric
underground
fleet eliminate
diesel particulate
matter from the
underground
environment and
lower greenhouse
gas emissions.”
TOM PALMER
CEO,
NEWMONT

24 March 2021
 NEWMONT

infrastructure business and re-training our

team to move away from supporting servers
to focus on finding opportunities to make our
operations more efficient.”
Canepari adds that cloud adoption is driving
value by allowing him to deploy his team on
more meaningful projects. “With the migration
of all our systems to the cloud, we’ve managed
to shut down five data centers already.
We're starting to explore the possibilities
of Edge Computing and what that means
for our mines.”
Technology is the future of mining
Mining companies are becoming technology
companies and Canepari is excited by the
chance to both boost production levels as
well as ensure the safety of employees across
the globe. “With more and more sensors and
DID YOU KNOW...
BORDEN – ‘MINE OF THE FUTURE’
In 2019 Newmont inaugurated
its Borden Gold Project,
Ontario’s mine of the future, featuring
state-of-the-art health and safety
controls, digital mining technologies
and processes, and low-carbon
energy vehicles.
Anchored in a mutually beneficial
partnership with local communities,
Borden achieved commercial
production on schedule within budget.
At 1,000 square kilometres, Borden’s
land package represents additional
exploration upside, as the deposit
remains open at depth in a favourable
mining jurisdiction.
“Borden opened a new gold mining
district in Ontario and profitably
extended operations at the Porcupine
complex near Timmins,” explains

Newmont CEO Tom Palmer. “In

addition, Borden’s electric underground
fleet eliminate diesel particulate matter
from the underground environment
and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
This will help reduce energy costs,
protect employee health and minimize
impacts to the environment.”

Miningglobal.com 25
 NEWMONT

CYBERSECURITY

Cybersecurity has taken on greater

significance for Newmont in the
age of autonomous trucks and drills.
Canepari points out that, unlike securing
SAP or payroll data, safety is at stake.
“As CIO, I’m focused on how we ensure
the right controls in place to secure this
new technology, when just ten years
ago it wasn’t even on the agenda. We
need to provide true segmentation
across the network with innovation and
compartmentalization so we don't have
the entire company exposed at any
given time. A production system in Africa
needn’t be exposed to a risk that we may
have in Australia and so forth. We’re trying
to contain risk to smaller components and
manage it better.”
Canepari measures success more in
his team’s ability to respond rather than
DID YOU KNOW...

their ability to prevent. “It’s not just about

firewalls,” he says. “We must develop
the ability to quickly identify the risk, any
breaches, and respond rapidly to them.
That’s the biggest change in culture that
I see from a cybersecurity perspective.
It’s about really focusing on the response
time, and the recovery is paramount.”

26 March 2021
 NEWMONT

“We had to learn how to dance together.

We are both 100-year-old companies, but we
used Rapid Discovery, an Enhance Program
Launch and Agile methodology to help us
deliver successfully together smoothly
and efficiently.”
GENE ALLEN
PARTNER,
IBM GLOBAL BUSINESS SERVICES

devices connected to our operations we can

analyze the data via the cloud in real time to
improve efficiencies and safety at every level.
The role of a CIO has changed significantly;
from providing systems to providing the value
that delivers safer working conditions.”
Canepari also sees it as his team’s
responsibility to enable the company to meet
its emissions reduction targets and allow
operations to become more environmentally
friendly. “As CIO, system abilities are part of my
DNA and I believe as a company, we need to
leverage technology to develop our systems to
better harness energy management, emissions
controls and water management as they will be
significant drivers in terms of the success of a
mining company over the next 20 years.”

Miningglobal.com 27
AI IN MINING

AI: The
Power to
Discover,
Operate,
Maintain
and Predict
28 March 2021
 AI IN MINING

Artificial intelligence is no
longer in the realms of sci-fi
but an invaluable technology
tool for mining companies

C
WRITTEN BY: ontrary to the stereotypical
DOMINIC image of a traditional mine
ELLIS characterised by a large
workforce and slow-moving
processes, modern mines
are quickly becoming complex, machine-
intensive environments that centre their
operations around heavy equipment and
computer-driven technology.
Driving much of the changes are rapid
advances in analytics and AI tools, which
are improving planning and operational
efficiencies, mine safety and workflow
productivity as well as stimulating the
integrated supply chain and predicting
future outcomes.
For example, by using smart data
and machine learning, a single operator
can now remotely control several drill
rigs simultaneously, with autonomous
vehicles taking over pit-to-pit operations.
AI can also be used to identify new and
potentially valuable areas to mine. By using
pattern matching and predictive analysis,
AI programmes can analyse significant
quantities of geological data and identify
where to find resources.
Another major benefit of AI’s use in mining
operations is minimizing the ecological
impact of mining operations and lowering
the environmental footprint. Mining sites
can be easily monitored and environmental
parameters such as temperature and
groundwater tracked to assess the impact
of mining operations.

Miningglobal.com 29
Change is hard. The truth is that many
mining companies are still very hesitant
about furthering their digital mining
transformations in fear of cost of
implementation, risk and uncertainty.

However, digital solutions from AVEVA

can help mining companies reduce
complexity and optimize business
and operational performance.

aveva.com

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For more information, read

our free E-Book on Digital
Mining Transformation.

“The starting point of any
organisational strategy
should never be the
technology. Instead, it has
to begin with identifying
the business problems,
corporate objectives,
and strategic goals.”
BILL SCUDDER,
GM OF AIOT SOLUTIONS,
ASPEN TECHNOLOGY
Mining is a highly disruptive activity,
operating in hostile environments, which
requires significant investment and precise
drilling to achieve ROI.
Cognilytica analysts Kathleen Walch and
Ronald Schmelzer, discussing the merits of
AI in a podcast, said AI can help at the outset
by separating valuable minerals from debris,
saving time and money.
“One area where AI is already being used
is in gold – it helps improve data targeting
for new deposits, analyse previous data
collected, and improve geologists’ planning
skills and capture new information from
existing data,” said Walch.
AI Today Podcast #80: AI in Mining --
Use Case Series | Cognilytica
AI IN MINING
Schmelzer said related to AI is the growth
in digital mining, instrumenting mining
equipment with IoT and devices. Autonomous
devices can make 24/7 inspections and raise
site safety. “We see the use of AI systems
helping to make mines safer, in the way
inspections are happening. They can provide
more frequent inspections and save a lot of
time in the inspection process.”
Walch said while we can’t “sugar coat” the
environmental damage that mining occurs,
cognitive technologies can help reduce the
impact and focus minds on future land use
strategies. On a day-to-day, AI computer
vision solutions can spot discrepancies in
real time, avoiding serious environmental or
operational issues.
Miningglobal.com 31
AI IN MINING
Artificial intelligence –
is the mining industry ready?
Early days but adoption rising fast
McKinsey’s Global Survey on AI in 2020
found more organizations are using AI as
a tool for generating value, with highest
percentages allocated to product and
service development and service operations
(24 percent).
Michael Chui, partner, McKinsey Global
Institute, said it’s clear we’re still in the early
days of AI use in business with less than a
quarter of respondents seeing significant
bottom line impact. “However, those seeing
AI contribute more than 20 percent to
earnings before interest and taxes are not
just from the tech sector. So it is possible
for any company to get a good amount of
value from AI if it’s applied effectively in
a repeatable way. We do think AI is worth
the investment, but it requires effective
execution to generate significant value,
particularly at enterprise scale.”
Tim Brooks, VP of Sales and Vendor
Management at PSA Security Network,
32 March 2021
believes 2021 will be the year AI becomes
more mainstream. “There will be increased
deployment in edge devices, including
cameras, thermographic cameras, radar
and LIDAR sensors and entry point readers.
Additional algorithms will be developed,
greatly expanding the use and function as
video surveillance transitions from a forensic
tool to real-time analytics,” he said.
In its Future of mining with AI paper,
Deloitte/Norcat concludes: “The growing
evidence of their benefits indicates AIbased
technologies in the mining industry are here
to stay, allowing companies to make more
accurate decisions faster, improve health and
safety, boost efficiency and ensure human
errors are almost negligible, all while helping
create smaller environmental footprints.”
Bill Scudder, GM of AIoT Solutions at
Aspen Technology, said there has been
much investment in AI technologies in
recent years among capital intensive
industries as they look to improve

efficiencies and enhance processes. But
the challenge can be bridging theory and
practical application.
“Across the capital intensive industries,
this disconnect between an appreciation
of the benefits AI can bring, and a lack of
understanding of how to extend those
benefits across an entire organisation has
been especially acute. There is often a
divergence between the well-understood
theoretical benefits of AI and the challenge
of putting these into practice across a whole
organisation,” he said.
“Over 2021, however, we would expect
to see this beginning to change. We will see
industrial organisations begin to move to a
more business first mindset. We expect to
see them increasingly applying AI technology
to domain-specific industrial challenges with
AI IN MINING
BOX AI’s wide-ranging benefits:
• Discovery processes and drilling
operations
• Detecting defects and predictive
maintenance
• Detecting driver fatigue, distracted
behaviour and lane positioning
• Analyzing the energy buyer market and
predicting operational outcomes
• Improving workplace safety and
monitoring the workplace
a focus on business outcomes. Yet, even
though exploring and identifying industrial
AI-enabled use cases may be a source of
fascination to some, the starting point of
any organisational strategy should never be
Miningglobal.com 33
AI IN MINING

the technology. Instead, it has to begin with
identifying the business problems, corporate
objectives, and strategic goals.”
Sandvik recently acquired a minority stake
in the privately owned American software
company Oqton, a leading provider of
AI-powered manufacturing solutions that
allows manufacturers to manage, optimize,
and automate their workflows.
“This investment is in line with our
strategic agenda to broaden our offering in
digital manufacturing. We are looking forward
to working with Oqton and finding ways to
expand our offering for increased customer
productivity by creating new products
that take advantage of Sandvik’s extensive
know-how about manufacturing processes
and Oqton’s AI-powered manufacturing
solutions”, said Stefan Widing, President
and CEO of Sandvik, which completed
the previously announced acquisition of
US-based CGTech, a leader in software for
numerical control simulation, verification
and optimization, at the end of last year.

Case studies:
RockMass Technologies has deployed
the latest generation of sensors to
capture realtime data to identify
potential failure planes on rock surfaces,
using handheld hardware to analyze rock
surfaces and providing the data to the
user within minutes (18 times faster than
current manual methods).
Leveraging AI capabilities is at the
core of ThoroughTec’s simulator based
training platform, where wearable
sensors continuously monitor worker
behaviour, generating data that is
then automatically analyzed to spot
problematic behavioural trends and
recommend highlyfocused remedial
training in a simulatorbased environment.
Ionic Engineering’s use of machine
learning to vastly enhance image
recognition used in identifying the
copper grades reduces “to negligible”
the error rate compared to employees
doing the work.
Drawing on more than six years of data,
Shyft Inc. is using machine learning to
forecast energy peaks.

34 March 2021
 AI IN MINING

“Those seeing AI contribute more than 20

percent to earnings . . . are not just from the
tech sector. So it is possible for any company
to get a good amount of value from AI if it’s
applied effectively in a repeatable way.”
MICHAEL CHUI,
PARTNER, MCKINSEY GLOBAL INSTITUTE

Five phases to Rare Earth Elements mining

There are five phases within REE mining:
prospecting, discovery, development,
operation/production, and reclamation. In
the operation/production phase companies
answer the question of how to mine, mill,
and process the discovered ores. It is here
that AI has the most impactful presence.
According to a recent research paper from
Pixeplex, The Kore Geosystems company
won $500,000 in funding for their idea of
leveraging AI in combination with installing
measurement instruments onto drill rigs
for real-time automated geological data
acquisition and decision making. This will
fast-track exploration campaigns and
vastly reduce costs. For Chinese mining
companies, this equates to efficiency and
informed decisions about which plots of
land they will use for drilling and which plots
they will reserve.
Ozius Spatial, a company utilizing machine
learning, has figured out practices to better
prevent environmental destruction – the
root cause of Chinese restraints on mining,
the paper adds. By deploying satellite
imagery and drones, companies don’t have
to be on-site and can use remote-sensing
algorithms, supported by machine learning, to
enable them to assess large tracts of land.

Miningglobal.com 35
36 March 2021
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.

Mining a
Bright Future
in China
How the Canadian miner is balancing
profitability, social and environmental
responsibility, employee wellbeing and
sustainable development

S
WRITTEN BY: ilvercorp is an innovative and unique
DAN BRIGHTMORE Canadian mining company with roots in
the far east. Founder Dr. Rui Feng took
PRODUCED BY: his early geological studies in China before
completing his doctorate in Saskatchewan,
RICHARD DEANE
where he was drawn to Canada’s mining
industry. After settling in Vancouver, and
working on technical reports for junior
mining companies that were going public,
Dr. Feng fell in love with the idea of building
an entrepreneurial mining company. By
taking control of a listed shell company,
and using his network of contacts in China,
he set about finding attractive assets to
put in it.
Dr. Feng is a successful entrepreneur and
explorer with over 25 years of global industry
experience acquiring mining opportunities
worldwide. He was integral in discovering
Jinshan Gold’s CSH Gold Mine in China in
2002, which was acquired by China Gold
International. Dr. Feng founded Silver-corp
in 2003 and acquired early-stage projects
in China’s Ying mining district. Through

Miningglobal.com 37
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.
RUI FENG
TITLE: CHAIRMAN AND CEO
COMPANY: SILVERCORP METALS INC.
INDUSTRY: MINING
Dr. Rui Feng is a successful
entrepreneur, explorer, and
mine builder with over 25 years of global
mining industry experience. His passion
for discovery has led him to explore
and acquire mineral opportunities
worldwide. He was integral in discovering
Jinshan Gold’s CSH Gold Mine in China
in 2002, which was acquired by China
Gold International. Dr. Feng founded
Silvercorp in 2003 by acquiring early-stage
properties in China. Through discovery
and development, Silvercorp has become
one of the most profitable Canadian
mining companies, with multiple mines
in China. As a director and former CEO
of New Pacific Metals, Dr. Feng led the
company to Bolivia in 2017 and acquired
the Silver Sand project which has recently
led to a significant discovery. In addition
to delivering value to employees and
shareholders through discovery and
development, Dr. Feng also believes a
sustainable operation requires innovation
and more effective management.
He pioneered a
digital information
EXECUTIVE BIO
management tool for
Silvercorp’s mines,
which has contributed
to improved
organizational
performance and
operational
profitability.
38 March 2021
discovery and development, Silvercorp
has become one of the most profitable
Canadian mining companies, with multiple
mines in China.
“The Ying Mining District was well-known
for having high-grade mineralization at
surface,” recalls Silvercorp’s Vice President
Lon Shaver. “But, until Dr. Feng assessed its
potential, nobody had ever really cracked
the code to determine how to address what
were effectively nest-like swarms of ore
bodies with many narrow, very high-grade
veins. Silvercorp brought a new perspective
to the project in terms of how to explore
and delineate enough material, in substance
and size, to begin a profitable, sustainable
operation. And that’s what the Ying project
was founded upon.”
Maximising opportunities at Ying
A joint venture was originally established
“Mines are depleting
assets but, despite the
years of production,
recent drilling results
brought our inventory
at Ying, in terms of
reserves, back up
to roughly the same
level as in 2016, with
a renewed 20-year
mine life”
LON SHAVER
VICE PRESIDENT,
SILVERCORP

at Ying in 2003 by Silvercorp making a $5m
investment to kickstart operations. The
mines across the property have remained
self-funded ever since through operations
that have delivered profits of $480m to
shareholders. A recently-published technical
report, completed by AMC Consultants
(AMC) in 2020, highlights a bright future
for the mining of silver, gold, lead and zinc
at the Ying property. Shaver notes that in
addition to the current inventory of reserves
of around 12 million tonnes there is also the
potential for further incre-ases if additional
drilling can convert known resources to
reserves, as well as identify more resources.
“Everything in the report ties back to the
resources and then the reserves, because it’s
upon those reserves that the mine plan was
established, and that dictates the projected
economic contribution of what the mine
SILVERCORP METALS INC.
is going to be,” explains Shaver. “Our last
report was based on drilling up to June
2016, and this report brings that forward to
December 2019. Mines are depleting assets
but, despite the production that took place
over that timeframe, drilling results brought
our inventory at Ying, in terms of reserves,
back up to essentially the same level. We
had a 20-year mine life that would have
been reduced by the depletion that took
place, but that life has been restored to 20
years again.”
Quality not Quantity
Silvercorp currently operates six mines
across three of its four licences in the Ying
mining district - SGX, HZG, HPG, LME, LMW,
TLP. The Ying Technical Report confirmed
that Ying is proving to be a prolific producer.
“Over the years, we’ve established the ability
Miningglobal.com 39
10+ YEARS
Proudly supporting and advising
Silvercorp on resource/reserve
estimation processes and reporting
across its operations.
Industry leaders in geology, mining, and
geotechnical engineering - AMC Consultants’
due diligence and feasibility studies are relied
on by the world’s major investment banks and
mining companies.

“ AMC has been Silvercorp’s trusted advisor for

Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimation
since 2009. With AMC’s continuing guidance,
we are now looking forward to yet further
streamlining our estimation processes for both “
internal site operations and external reporting.
- RUI FENG, CHAIRMAN AND CEO

MORE ABOUT AMC

amcconsultants.com
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.

to define higher grades and prioritise those

grades during the mine’s life,” adds Shaver. YING 2020 TECHNICAL
“This of course brings the production to REPORTS – HIGHLIGHTS
a higher level in the earlier years, which
contributes more when calculating our Effectively replacing reserves
net present value. Recent drilling appears since the last report in 2017,
to have identified zones of traditional the latest technical report (carried
mineralization, with high grades and close out by AMC Consultants) re-confirms
to existing infrastructure, but also potentially a 20-year mine life at Silvercorp’s
a different type of mineralization that was flagship operation and shows:
the source of anomalous gold results from
drilling that occurred in the past.” • 18% Increase in Measured and
Silvercorp’s recent technical report also Indicated Silver Resources.
introduced the potential for a seventh • 4% Increase in Proven and
mining unit and the current Ying operations Probable Silver Reserves, on
have excess mill capacity. “Right now, Top of 21 Million Ounces of Silver
the existing six mines are operating at Produced between June 2016 and
sustainable production rates,” explains December 2019 at the Ying Silver-
Shaver. “We don’t really want to push lead-zinc Mining District.
them for much higher tonnage, if anything • In comparison with the 2017
we’re looking at creating opportunities Technical Report, Inferred Resource
for higher quality tonnage out of those tonnes have increased by 78%,
mines, and pursuing the development of and contained metal has increased
a seventh mining area, the DCG Project by 42% for silver, 38% for lead,
(which would be the first mine on the 32% for zinc and 450% for gold.

“The Ying Technical

Significant aspects of comparison
of Mineral Reserve estimates between

Report has further June 2016 (previous Technical Report)

and December 2019 (Ying 2020

confirmed our Technical Report):

ability to define • Increase in total Ying Mineral

higher grades and

Reserve silver, lead, and zinc grades
DID YOU KNOW...

of 7%, 2%, and 11% respectively.

prioritise those • Increase in total Ying Mineral

Reserve metal content for silver
grades during the and zinc of 4% and 8% respectively;

mine life”
1% decrease in total lead content.

LON SHAVER
VICE PRESIDENT,
SILVERCORP
Miningglobal.com 41
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.

2003
Year founded

$166m
LTM revenue
in dollars.

1,200+
Number of
employees

42 March 2021
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.

fourth licence). When that does come

online it may contribute to production
growth and flexibility in terms of the overall
operating plan.”
It’s early days, but Shaver explains there
was work done historically on the Ying
property’s fourth mining licence, which
shows the potential of the veins that
Silvercorp is looking to develop into new
production zones. “We’ve been driving

“Given the pressures of the pandemic

on the global economy, the metals
markets should benefit from the
fiscal stimulus being put forward. The
inflationary pressures we’re seeing
will be positive for precious metals”
LON SHAVER
VICE PRESIDENT, a tunnel towards that fourth licence and
SILVERCORP with recent drilling efforts we’ve hit some
interesting zones,” he confirms. “If it all proves
to be positive, the next steps would be to
develop additional access and infrastructure
to develop another mining operation.”

The Market
“Like every other miner in the metals
industry, we are in a commodities market
where all the producers are price takers,”
says Shaver. “The key focus then is how
to create and sustain an operation at the
low end of the cost curve, so that in good
times when prices are high, you make
money, but then when prices are low you
can survive those tough times, continue
to generate positive cash margins and
be self-sustaining.”
Shaver sees a strong future for precious
and base metals: “Given the pressures of

Miningglobal.com 43
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.
THE ENTERPRISE BLOG
The Enterprise Blog (EBlog) is
Silvercorp’s social media platform
for the transparent distribution and flow of
work-related knowledge across multiple
locations within the business. In the system,
each of the mining stopes, development
faces, or major pieces of equipment is
assigned a blog name. Daily results of onsite
inspection by responsible engineers are
required to be published on their blogs. The
results are listed in a structured data format
DID YOU KNOW...
in a checklist table, containing information
and supporting photos. Related parties at
different levels of the management team
can directly access the daily blog for each
workplace, for first-hand information in
real time. Meanwhile, the EBlog system also
records when a manager has accessed the
44 March 2021
blog to read or comment on the daily results
under their responsibility.
With the Enterprise Blog, information
collection, assessments are fair and timely,
and each team member is responsible
for their work distribution, retrieval, and
monitoring has become transparent and
immediate. The knowledge collected by
the frontline technicians or engineers
freely flows throughout layers of the
management structure. Management have
the incentive, and tools, to make prompt
and more accurate decisions that can be
instantly delivered to responsible parties.
The benefits of the system are that team
member collaboration becomes easy, KPI
assessments are fair and timely, and each
team member is responsible for their work.
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.

Silvercorp Metals Inc. Ying Mines

the pandemic on the global economy,

the metals markets should benefit from
“We trust the
the fiscal stimulus being put forward. The
inflationary pressures we’re seeing will be
expertise AMC
positive for precious metals, and silver will Consultants
benefit from that, along with the part it
plays in the electrification of society and brings on technical
its growing use in renewable energy such
as solar. At Ying there are many positives
reports and look
as the mining is relatively straightforward, forward to their
input on assessing
with good ground conditions, and little
mitigation needed. Metallurgy is strong and
our concentrates are in high demand from
smelters so we are in a good position to be
the viability of our
a sustainable producer of silver, gold, lead
and zinc.”
future projects”
LON SHAVER
AMC Consultants VICE PRESIDENT,
“AMC have been working with us for a SILVERCORP
number of years and understand the nature
of the ore bodies, the information we’re

Miningglobal.com 45
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.

46 March 2021
 SILVERCORP METALS INC.

“AMC have been working

with us for a number of
years and understand the
nature of the ore bodies,
the information we’re
collecting, how we collect
it, how it gets processed
and how we apply that
picture to the operations”
LON SHAVER
VICE PRESIDENT,
SILVERCORP

collecting, how we collect it, how it gets

processed and how we apply that picture to
the operations,” explains Shaver. “We record
some of these nuances on our Enterprise
Blog; our in-house platform allows us to
store, share and access information in real
time across the business. AMC have made
a number of site visits and combined with
the flow of information we can share they’re
in a great position to chart the process
and come up with what we believe are
reasonable conclusions for this latest report.
They’ve also worked with us on reports for
the GC mine. We trust the expertise AMC
brings on technical reports and look forward
to their input on assessing the viability of
our future projects.”
for the mining industry in China. “Across our
mine sites we’re continually re-greening and
re-vegetating and right now we’re building
an aggregate plant within the Ying mining
district,” explains Shaver. “Working with the
community and local government we’re
aiming to upcycle waste rock stockpiles from
our mines into useful building materials.”
Silvercorp’s involvement with local
businesses is creating economic opportunities
in synchronicity with its mine life plan.
Setting the standard for others to follow
in China’s mining industry bodes well
for a productive and bright future for
the company.

A Sustainable Future
A holistic and sustainable philosophy is
key to Silvercorp’s growth strategy. From
reducing waste to minimising mining’s
footprint on the surrounding environment,
the company is proactive in its efforts to
lead the conversation around sustainability

Miningglobal.com 47
INDUSTRY X.O

AUTONOMOUSTRUCKS
Boost Productivity
and Attract Funding
The latest self-driving models are cuttings costs, raising
efficiencies and setting the foundations for fossil-free
mining operations in the mobile fleet sector

T
WRITTEN BY: he words ‘electric’ and ‘autonomous’
DOMINIC ELLIS are largely synonymous with compact
passenger cars to most of us but
technological developments are taking place
at top speed across the transport spectrum
– including in the large mining vehicle sector,
which has the almost unique capability
of combining scale and invisibility at the
same time.
As befits these novel times, this year’s
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was not
only the first digital showcase but also marked
Caterpillar’s debut as it promoted its self-
driving fleet equipped with Cat MineStar and
data-sharing subscription product, MineStar
Edge. If nothing else, it raised the supersized
truck into consumer consciousness.
“People may ask why a manufacturing
company like Caterpillar has decided to
participate in CES,” said Denise Johnson,
Group President, Resource Industries. “The
real question is ‘why not?’ We’re proud of our
reputation for building some of the biggest,
most productive machines in the world. But
the technology that goes along with those
machines is built by Caterpillar, too.”

48 March 2021
INDUSTRY X.O

Miningglobal.com 49
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 INDUSTRY X.O

Let's talk mining:

Caterpillar and saving the world -
CES Livestream

Caterpillar has been investing seat passenger planes – and

in the development of best- can move 4.91 trillion pounds
in-class mining technology of material.
The Cat 797F autonomous
solutions for more than 30 haul truck weighs in at “The CES show is filled with

284.6 tons
years, developing the building-
block offerings that surface and
underground mines use every
day to improve consistency
and efficiency, enable safer
operations and reduce overall
operating costs.
It’s been a long journey. The company’s
first research into autonomous vehicles
began in the 1980s, with prototype
autonomous Cat trucks running in a quarry
as early as the 1990s. The first official
MineStar Command for hauling site began
operating in 2013 and today Caterpillar has
more than 350 trucks operating 24/7 on
three continents.
The Cat 797F autonomous haul truck
weighs in at 284.6 tons, rising to 687.5 tons
on a full load – the equivalent of 15 189-
innovators who are always
looking for the next technology
the equivalent of
breakthrough,” said Johnson.
15 “We’re proud to be on that
189-seat passenger journey, too. But while we
planes!
continue to innovate for
the future, the technologies
Caterpillar has developed are doing real
work and delivering real results to our mining
customers every day.”
CES wasn’t just a hardware-come-software
opportunity for Caterpillar but an opportunity
to attract more talent to its technology team.
“We are committed to making investments in
technology research and development,” said
Johnson. “We need the best and the brightest
engineers, developers and tech experts to
help us turn those investments into solutions
for our customers.” 

Miningglobal.com 51
INDUSTRY X.O

Autonomous truck benefits:

• Operations are up to 20 percent

more efficient
• Mines record up to 30 per cent
more productivity
• 24/7 operations with zero
‘lost time’ incidents
• Large upfront capital offset
by savings over time

Caterpillar Chairman & CEO Jim Umpleby

added that for many mines of a certain size,
most customers now want an autonomous
fleet. “We’ve had customers publicly state
that they’re seeing productivity increases in
the range of 30 percent, which is obviously
very significant to their bottom line. We have
about 340 autonomous mining trucks running
and expect to reach 400 by the end of the
year. We like to say that we have more actual
autonomous miles on our mining trucks than
any car manufacturer has out there.”
“We have about 340
Oxbotica secures autonomy autonomous mining
software funding
Oxbotica, a leader in autonomous vehicle
trucks running and
software, recently announced the completion expect to reach 400
of a $47 million Series B investment with
partners across the globe, led by bp ventures.
by the end of the year”
The funding will accelerate Oxbotica’s
commercial deployment of its autonomy JIM UMPLEBY,
software platform across multiple industries CHAIRMAN & CEO, CATERPILLAR
and key markets.
It follows the signing of an MoU between
Wenco International Mining Systems and the first Open Autonomy solution for
Oxbotica last year to develop a world-first the mining industry.
Open Autonomy solution for mining. Initial The system will provide customers
trials are underway, and the companies flexibility and efficiency in autonomous
are actively recruiting mining partners with mining deployment, allowing them to
appropriate testing grounds. It’s billed as operate any open standard-based vehicle

52 March 2021
 INDUSTRY X.O

Caterpillar
Chairman &
CEO Jim Umpleby
- many mines of a
certain size, most
customers now want
an autonomous
fleet.

30%
increase in
productivity

340
autonomous mining
trucks running and
expect to reach

400
by the end of the
year!

and integrate it into their existing fleet, and
meet growing demand for autonomous
haulage trucks, which are projected to grow
by more than 300 percent by 2023.
Wenco and Oxbotica both support an
open and interoperable ecosystem of
partners that integrate solutions alongside
existing mine infrastructure. Both companies
believe this provides customers with the
greatest flexibility and control for integrating
new solutions while reducing associated
risks and costs.
This approach also notably avoids vendor
lock-in and offers customers the freedom to
choose preferred technologies, independent
of their primary industrial systems.
Furthermore, it enables highly skilled
autonomy suppliers that may be new to
mining to integrate with customers’ existing
operations while backed by a proven expert
in the industry.
A wholly owned subsidiary company of
Hitachi Construction Machinery, Wenco,
has 30 years’ experience in developing
technology solutions that assist mining
companies in maximising resource
value from their operations. This latest
advancement builds on the vision of Open
Autonomy – first publicly announced by
Wenco and its parent, Hitachi Construction
Machinery, at the Canadian Institute of
Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)
Convention in Montreal in May 2019.
Andrew Pyne, Wenco President and
CEO, said it was confident that combining
Oxbotica’s proven capability in autonomy
with its 30-year experience in interoperable
fleet management systems for large mining

Miningglobal.com 53
INDUSTRY X.O

“We have the opportunity to develop an

aspect of fossil-free mining operations,
a step towards achieving a fossil-free
society and basic industry”
MARIA LINDBERG,
MANAGER, HEAVY ELECTRIFIED
TRANSPORT AT VATTENFALL

customers enables it to create the industry’s

first full-function Open Autonomy platform.
“Regardless of the strategies of other
industrial autonomy vendors, Wenco and
Oxbotica believe firmly in the principle
of open systems and consider it the
primary way to bring about our joint goals
of widespread adoption of autonomous
technology and safer, more productive
industrial operations. Our joint platform
will allow customers to choose any open
standards-based vehicle and integrate it
into their existing operations.”

Scania steps on autonomous pedal Electric truck tackles Arctic conditions

Scania – which has been testing self-
driving trucks for mining transport in
Australia since 2017 – has the cab-less
AXL fully autonomous concept truck in
its fleet, which is powered by renewable
biofuel. Claes Erixon, Head of Research
and Development at Scania, said the
model “changes the game significantly”.
“The development in self-driving vehicles
has made great strides in the past years. We
still don’t have all the answers, but through
concept vehicles like Scania AXL we break
new ground and continue to learn at great
speed,” he said. Scania was recently granted
permission by the Swedish Transport Agency
to test self-driving trucks on the E4 motorway
between Södertälje and Jönköping.
Kaunis Iron is collaborating with Vattenfall,
Volvo Trucks, ABB and Wist Last & Buss in a
pilot project to develop a sustainable logistics
system with electrically powered heavy
trucks functioning in -44 degree Celsius in
northern Sweden. Volvo Trucks is contributing
its own heavy truck, an all-electric Volvo FMX
prototype, to evaluate how battery-electric
trucks including charging systems function in
Arctic conditions.
Maria Lindberg, Manager, Heavy
Electrified Transport at Vattenfall, said:
“Our fossil-free electricity and services for
charging infrastructure, where we install,
operate and maintain charging functions,
play a self-evident role in the development
of electrified transport, and we are very

54 March 2021

pleased with this cooperation. Here, we
have the opportunity to develop an aspect
of fossil-free mining operations, a step
towards achieving a fossil-free society and
basic industry.”
Vattenfall and Kaunis Iron signed a
letter of intent to develop fossil-free and
electrified mining operations at the iron
ore mine in Pajala, Sweden, in January.
"The Swedish mining industry is facing
major changes to reduce dependence on
fossil fuels and develop climate-efficient
and responsible mining operations,” said
Klas Dagertun, CEO, Kaunis Iron. “Kaunis
Iron wants to take active responsibility
for this development, and that is why
this collaboration with Vattenfall is
very important.”
INDUSTRY X.O
Sandvik scoops
Global Product
Leadership award:
Based on its recent analysis of the global
mining automation market, Frost &
Sullivan has recognized Sandvik with the
2020 Global Product Leadership Award
for its advanced mining automation,
teleoperation and digitalization solutions
portfolio, AutoMine and OptiMine.
”Sandvik is the only mining equipment
and solutions company that was awarded
in our 2020 Class of Top 50 Digital Best-
practitioners across the Industrial and
Energy Space,” says Rohit Karthikeyan,
Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan.
The AutoMine system is an innovative
automation solution that comprises
AutoMine Underground and AutoMine
Surface Drilling, enabling customers
to scale up the mining automation at
their own pace.
Miningglobal.com 55
 CRU GROUP

56 March 2021

DATA-DRIVEN
COMMODITIES
DIGITALTRANSFORMATION
Will Blake, Director of Technology & Analytics at
CRU Group, discusses how data and data analytics
are driving change in commodities
WRITTEN BY:
MATT HIGH
T
he digital transformation of every
industry sector means that an
immeasurable amount of data is
being generated by businesses, industries
and consumers worldwide every day. The
effective harnessing and analysis of that data
can generate significant value to companies
through the greater understanding and
insight of trends, and better prediction and
forecasting that allows robust strategies to
be delivered.
The latter is where CRU comes in. The
London-headquartered company uses data
to offer unrivalled business intelligence
on the global metals, mining and fertiliser
industries through market analysis, pricing
assessments and consultancy services. The
content and insight provided by CRU gives
a complete view of the commodity market,
enabling operators and industry participants
to make critical business decisions.
CRU GROUP
PRODUCED BY:
CAITLYN COLE
Understandably, delivering such a
comprehensive suite of services requires
a robust and innovative technology and
analytics strategy. Will Blake is responsible
for driving this strategy. Will is a highly
experienced technology leader, having spent
more than 15 years at CRU and, previously,
close to two years working as a geophysicist
in a seismic exploration team. Data has been
an overarching theme throughout his career,
as he explains: “Geophysics is a data intensive
role that requires the handling of large
volumes of information – the oil industry was
really one of the first that exploited the value
of data in this way, so that experience has
certainly given me a greater understanding of
the challenges around information and data,
as well as how we can effectively solve the
issues our customers face.”
During his 15 years at CRU, Will has
witnessed data, and the effective analysis
Miningglobal.com 57
 CRU GROUP

CRU’s strategy on data gathering

“COMPANIES
of that data, play an increasingly important
role in the business strategies of customers.

ARE PRODUCING “It’s been a huge transformation,” he notes.

“Generally speaking, data is a lot more
REAMS OF DATA prevalent and is consumed from a host of
different and new sources, such as increased
AND, AT THE automation and so on. Volume wise, we’re

SAME TIME, USING

dealing with so much more information that
we analyse, so it’s a significant change.

A LOT MORE “Take the mining industry as an example,”

Will continues. “Companies are producing

TO IMPROVE THEIR reams of data and, at the same time, using

a lot more to improve their operations.
OPERATIONS” There’s a big increase in IoT devices at
mining sites and satellite geospatial analysis
for monitoring purposes, for example,
WILL BLAKE,
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY which help to boost productivity, eliminate
& ANALYTICS, unnecessary costs and allow for the move
CRU GROUP towards predictive maintenance. At the same
time, we’re seeing an acceleration in the drive
towards automated mining and self-driving
vehicles, which can operate around the clock.
Not only can they improve production rates

58 March 2021
 CRU GROUP

and safety, but provide greater availability

of data and information to analyse.” WILL BLAKE
CRU has been operational for just over TITLE: DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
50 years. And while the company has & ANALYTICS
always been at the forefront of primary COMPANY: CRU GROUP
research and analysis, Will explains that the
INDUSTRY: COMMODITIES RESEARCH
exponential growth of data and innovative
technology has led to the company’s own AND ANALYSIS
digital transformation journey. “We started LOCATION: LONDON
as a paper-based publisher that would
publish thousands of industry reports Will has over 12 years of
each year. And, because we have clients experience in technology
in 90 countries worldwide, we’d have to across a range of disciplines including
transport that information to them by courier. data analytics, cybersecurity, digital
Similarly, the data collection was also quite product development and cloud
a manual process. infrastructure. He is currently
“What’s really changed is the accessibility Director of Technology & Analytics at
of data,” he continues. “Clients used to be CRU and has responsibility for digital
happy receiving a report once a year, or once development initiatives and global
a quarter, but now we’re no longer willing to technology services. He is also a
wait for that information – technology makes member of the CRU executive team
everything instantaneous, so our whole and has wider responsibilities across
cycle has had to change in terms of what the business including product
we produce and how we produce it. It’s no development and compliance. Prior
longer about pulling information together to CRU, he worked as
and presenting it to the customer, people can a geophysicist for a
often find that information easily elsewhere. seismic exploration
company in the oil
industry. He holds a
MSc in Geophysics
from Durham
University and a
BSc in Geology from
Bristol University.
EXECUTIVE BIO

Miningglobal.com 59
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“Digital transformation has fundamentally silos and spreadsheets. They were looking
changed the way that organisations view for an advanced analytics platform that
and consume data,” says Omri Kohl, co- would allow effective data modelling,
founder and CEO at Pyramid Analytics. improved security and governance.”
“We’re now in an environment where data
is an absolutely critical asset—if you want “We’ve spent a lot of time working with
to have a competitive advantage and to CRU to help them democratize and
capitalise on any opportunities in the visualise their data and achieve real
market, you need to leverage all data consistency across the organisation—
available to you. It’s the most significant ultimately transforming sales revenue
cultural change in how people develop reporting and driving portfolio growth.
and scale companies. Just look at CRU is now able to more accurately
Facebook, Google and Amazon, they’re all forecast profit margin and influence how
hugely successful and all driven by data.” and what they sell. We are honored to be
a trusted partner in their digital
CRU Group, a valued Pyramid customer transformation and congratulate them on
and leading commodities analysis their tremendous success.”
company, has undergone a significant
digital transformation of their own. CRU pyramidanalytics.com
offers analysis, forecasting and pricing
services for the mining, metal and fertiliser
industries. As such, its business is built
around the effective analysis and use of
data. “We’ve been working with CRU for
roughly five years, enabling them to scale
and provide effective data to their
customers,” says Steve Cowell, Head of
UK & Ireland. “At that stage, the company
was embarking on its own digital
transformation and had a lot of data in
 CRU GROUP

To be successful, we have to add value and

interpretation on top of that information,
which CRU is very good at.”
To manage this transformation and add
value, Will explains that CRU “pulled back to
the information and the content, rather than
focus around the technology, which people
do have a tendency to do. The latest tools
don’t necessarily matter that much, for us
the focus has always been the accessibility
of data and information, the understanding
of what our customers need to help them
make effective business decisions, and how
often and in what format do they need it.
Only once we have the answer to those
questions do we consider the technology
necessary to deliver on them.”
One essential implementation was a cloud-
first strategy, he explains. CRU consumes

62 March 2021
 CRU GROUP

An insight into how CRU gathers

content for its consumers

“OUR CLOUD
STRATEGY
PROVED
TO BE VERY
RESILIENT AND
WAS A KEY
ENABLER IN
ALLOWING
BUSINESS TO
CARRY ON
EFFECTIVELY”
WILL BLAKE
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
& ANALYTICS,
CRU GROUP

Miningglobal.com 63
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 CRU GROUP

500+
sets and commodities
prices published
each week

300+
employees spread over
8 offices on 5 continents

40
different commodities
analysised

66 March 2021
 CRU GROUP

content from a multitude of locations

globally, and by working in the cloud the
business is able to achieve the flexibility
and technical delivery to maximise on any
investment. Similarly, Will notes that the
business has focused on building on its
core in-house technical and data skill sets
in order to deliver effectively to customers.
“Data is pivotal, so we keep that expertise
within the business. We partner with other
companies on things that we don’t see as
core to our direct business, so networking
communications, front-end website
development,” he adds.
CRU specialises in market-leading
research built on robust and transparent

“FOR US THE FOCUS HAS ALWAYS

BEEN THE ACCESSIBILITY OF
DATA AND INFORMATION”

WILL BLAKE,
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
& ANALYTICS,
CRU GROUP

methodologies. Regardless of specific sector

or operation, its customers typically use the
content and information provided to inform
critical business decisions such as whether
to enter a certain commodity market, for
example. It also offers price assessments
from a team of specialists in London, Beijing,
Mumbai, Pittsburgh, Shanghai, Singapore and
Santiago. Will explains that primary research
in these areas covers supply, demand, price
and costs analysis; the content is also
used to build proprietary models that
inform CRU’s forecasting under the strapline
of ‘where commodities meet economics’.

Miningglobal.com 67
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hello.global.ntt
 CRU GROUP

NTT: supporting
global enterprises in
the new digital era

We speak to Mo Meah,
Client Partner at NTT
with 25 years experience
An insightsales
in the technology into how CRU efficiently
dealt
environment, onwith
the the global pandemic
company’s partnership
with CRU Group

“W E’RE
Joining ALSO
NTT in 2014, Mo Meah currently holds
Information provided by CRU helps
Group’s collaboration tools, which in turn has led
organisations navigate challenging market
LOOKING TO
the position of Client Partner at the company. to NTT looking at other areas of the business
“NTT is a global ICT provider with a revenue conditions. This hascloud
such as security beenand evidenced
making usemostof digital
of$11bn. As the 11th largest company in the recently events.in thethecompany’s
relationshipwork during
DRIVE A LOT OF
“So is moving in the right
world, NTT’s focuses on supporting global the global COVID-19 pandemic. Like all needs.
direction to support their future business
enterprise companies that are looking to utilise companies,
One of theCRU keyfaced
areas,the considering
challengethe of global
AUTOMATION
the new digital era of intelligent solutions, both pandemic that we’re currently experiencing,
locally and regionally, as well as globally. NTT shifting to aable
is being remote workingand
to support business
work with their
AND TO IMPROVE
operates in over 50 countries, working with model. remote
customers to build very long trusted relationships highlights,
“It’s been very
workers.
the ability“but as we
to allow
challenging,”
We were Willtogether
able to put
have offices
employees in Beijing
to work from home

OUR RANGE OF
as a managed service provider,” comments Meah. and at Shanghai,
very short which
notice,”both
he adds.
enforced home

DATA SOURCES,
working in January, we were better placed to
NTT’s relationship with CRU Group began four Meah details that NTT’s partnership with CRU
years ago, originating from an event hosted plan for any
Group potential
is one wheredisruption.
they have On been23able
March to build

INCLUDING
by NTT. “Cloud Expo allowed CRU Group to wea moved
assess who they could go to market and who around with them
the whole global
strong relationship.
to really
300 people
“We havebusiness
– tounderstand
home working
worked
where
– closely
andthey’re
SATELLITE
would support them in establishing a more agile going as a business and being able to address
it’s worked remarkably well. Our cloud
and robust network. We actually bid on XXXX at some of those issues in terms of having better
the time, and as part of that we effectively strategy proved totools be very
and resilient and was
ANALYTICS”
communication allowing them the data
delivered a brand new infrastructure for an a key andenabler
the voicein allowing business
to operate overtoone
carrynetwork
environment to support their business and oninterface. effectively.”
Our partnership makes their job a lot
consolidate their connectivity across the globe. easier becausehas
The company they can
also beenrelyengaged
on their trusted
Our network
WILL BLAKE, has enabled them to communicate in dedicated
partner to worry about infrastructure, which
more effectively
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY with both employees and allows themCOVID-19 analysisonto the
to concentrate better
key areas
customers,”
& ANALYTICS, comments Meah. understand
of actually how the virus
optimising andis impacting
being more effective
CRU GROUP commodities. “Disruption
in their business to supplyMeah.
roles,” concludes chains
As a result of this initial partnership, NTT has had has been significant,” Will states, “as well as
the opportunity to branch out and unify CRU

Miningglobal.com 69
 CRU GROUP

70 March 2021

short-term demand reduction. Alongside
this, we’ve been tracking operational status
of mines, smelters and refineries with
our dedicated disruption tracker service,
which has been embedded in our existing
products. Our economics team has
been closely analysing the impact of
this disruption on global GDP and other
economic indicators as our outlook shifts
from what’s happening now to what the
future looks like for our customers.”
As to that future, Will describes a rapidly
changing market that is showing the first signs
of stability. Forecasting, he notes, always has
a degree of flexibility, but CRU is experiencing
commodities customers seeking answers to
longer term questions, which demonstrates
the response to COVID shifting from a
survival mentality to one of strategically
planning for the future.
For CRU, future plans revolve around
continuing to develop core services and the
implementation of new technologies, says
CRU GROUP
Will. “We still have work to do to harness the
volumes of data we need and make it more
accessible – it’s a never ending evolution in
that respect. We have just purchased a new
data platform that will drive this growth and
offer a greater range of analysis. We’re also
looking to drive a lot of automation and to
improve our range of data sources. The latter
includes satellite analytics, which provides
an enormous wealth of information at a
global scale.”
“In terms of our business, there are two big
trends that will drive what we do: increasing
electrification of transport and the changing
structure of power generation, and carbon
emissions and environmental sustainability.
Both will contribute hugely to how our
customers operate and they’ll form a key
strategic area for us to move into.”
Miningglobal.com 71
TECHNOLOGY

72 March 2021

SMART MINING ERA
Benefits from Digital Solutions
Digital innovation is
shaping the mine of
the future
WRITTEN BY: DOMINIC ELLIS
O
ver the past decade, the mining
industry has faced increasingly
difficult scenarios to improve
efficiencies, raise safety and reduce costs,
whilst also demonstrating an increased
environmental and social awareness
among local communities.
The recent China gold mine explosions
in Shandong Province were a stark
reminder of the dangers faced by miners
working 400 meters below ground,
even in today’s more safety-aware and
technologically equipped 21st century.
Against the wider challenges of 2020,
the pressure to get the balance right has
only intensified and the pandemic has
triggered many countries to re-assess the
long-lasting impacts of their mining and
metal projects. As a result, new processes
must be developed to meet the increasing
demand for materials and low-carbon
technologies.
On all fronts, this is where the new
digital era can offer solutions.
Traditionally, mining has been slow to
adopt new technologies and embrace
TECHNOLOGY
innovations that could transform and
strengthen the industry. However, an
Accenture Consulting report found that 82
per cent of the mining industry is looking
to increase investments in technological
innovations over the next few years.
From AI and spatial visualisation data
to GIS systems and automated drones,
digital technologies are set to make
mining operations around the world more
productive, efficient and sustainable,
whilst significantly reducing the risks
involved and improving worker safety.
The global smart mining market size
is expected to reach $24,047.6 million
in 2027, from $9,256.7 million in 2019,
growing at a CAGR of 13 percent over
the next six years, according to Allied
Market Research.
Changes are now filtering through. At
the end of last year, Epiroc agreed to buy
MineRP, a software company specializing
in increasing productivity for mines
through integrated planning, execution
and analytics.
“The combination of MineRP’s platform
capabilities with Epiroc’s digital solutions,
partners and global presence has the
potential to transform the way that mines
operate,” said Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s
President and CEO. “MineRP is a high-
quality software provider with significant
experience of connecting mines from pit
to port, and together we will continue to
Miningglobal.com 73
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 TECHNOLOGY

“The mining sector can

only benefit from adopting
digital technologies
and data analytics to
optimise the efficiency
and effectiveness of
mines, boost asset
performance, reduce
risk and mitigate against
environmental concerns”
Shaping the future of mining
BORIS IVANOV
GLOBAL COMMODITIES EXPERT after COVID-19 | Axora
In a paper entitled The Digital Mine:
make mining customers’ operations even connected, optimised, sustainable, Prof.
more smart, safe and seamless.” David Sjödin, Associate Professor of
Axora launched an online Smart Mining Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the
resource centre to help companies rebound Luleå University of Technology in Sweden,
from, and thrive after, the global Coronavirus said: “We will have to create deeper mines
pandemic. The Smart Mining centre provides in the future. We can’t send humans to
the latest industry insights and access to these depths and automation will be the
digital solutions and technologies which only option. To be automation-ready,
mining companies can adopt to accelerate mines will first have to get digitalisation
their business growth, reduce wasted right.” The World Economic Forum has
investment, and avoid duplication. identified four key digital themes that are

Miningglobal.com 75
TECHNOLOGY
expected to be central to the digitalization
of the industry over the next decade.
Safety sensors high temperature and corrosion,” Dr Dinh
A researcher at the University of Southern
Queensland in Toowoomba, Australia, has
developed new super sensors that could
significantly improve mining safety, in another
clear example of technology redrawing the
conventional mining environment.
Designed to prevent injury and death on
mining sites, Dr Toan Dinh’s sensors
detect early mechanical issues in oil and gas
pipelines while being able to withstand harsh
and corrosive environments – an ability that
has even caught the attention of NASA.
Dr Dinh, a mechanical engineer at the
University of Southern Queensland, has
spent the past six years developing the
sensors, which are made of silicon carbide.
He says that they are five to 100 times
smaller than the width of a single human
hair, and that they perform "a thousand
times better" than conventional sensors.
76 March 2021
“The current silicon technology can’t be
used in harsh environments because they
can’t survive a long time in conditions of
explains. “The sensors I have developed can
operate in up to 600 degrees Celsius for a
wide range of applications, including oil and
gas industries and aerospace technologies.”
Big data and spatial data visualisation
Smart mines are mines where the major
assets are digitized via embedded sensors
that transmit data to a centralized location
through a wireless network. The value
of a smart mine lies in exploring the
clear and robust data available across
the mine workflow to provide real-
time insights. Once analysed, the data
can identify production issues, manage
inventory and quality, track production
and asset performance and costs. This
can help mining companies make optimal
decisions to generate efficiencies across
its production and operations.
 TECHNOLOGY

“The current
silicon technology
can’t be used in
harsh environments
because they can’t
survive a long time
in conditions of
high temperature
and corrosion”
DR DINH,
MECHANICAL ENGINEER
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
QUEENSLAND

Spatial data is becoming increasingly
valuable across the mining sector, with
three-dimensional modelling, virtual reality
and augmented reality software’s enabling
companies to plan new mines without
being on the ground. For example, three-
dimensional modelling allows companies to
create a realistic model of a new mine, with
viewable depth perception, which enables
them to assess and test potential issues
before plans are deployed in the real world.
In addition, these new technologies allow
individuals to experience what it is like to
work in a mine without being in the field and
for companies to train new miners remotely.
In particular, developments in augmented
reality now allow miners to be trained using
virtual simulators and provide an immersive
experience – letting employees to prepare
for difficult events in a safe environment.
This reduces costs, risks and negative
impacts to the environment.
Autonomous mines
Mines have always been considered
dangerous environments to work in.

Miningglobal.com 77
TECHNOLOGY
However, as the exploration of new deposits
become increasingly complex, including
lower ore grades, deeper deposits and
high-stress environments, the number
of injuries and fatalities in mining
remains persistently high. This is where
technological innovations offer a lifeline.
The World Economic Forum projects that
automation and robotics could prevent
10,000 injuries in the mining and metals
industries in the decade to 2025.
Through the implementation of
AI-powered autonomous systems,
mining companies are now able to use
78 March 2021
self-controlled machines to take charge
of the operations in hostile environments.
This move will not only significantly
reduce the threat to miners’ lives,
however, the rise of the ‘digital mine’ is
also set to boost overall productivity with
machines able to work 24/7. China’s coal
mines have been boosting intelligent
mining technologies to reduce accidents
with more robots working underground.
The number of pieces of machinery
equipped with smart mining technologies
reached 494 at the end of 2020, up 80
percent on 2019. Nineteen kinds of robots

“We will have to create deeper mines in
the future. We can’t send humans to these
depths and automation will be the only
option. To be automation-ready, mines
will first have to get digitalisation right.”
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND INNOVATION,
were working in underground coal mines
for mining, drilling and patrolling at the
end of 2020, according to the National
Mine Association.
The Syama underground gold mine
in Mali became the world’s first fully
autonomous mine operation. Designed
in partnership with Swedish engineering
company Sandvik, the mine operates with
fully automated trucks, loaders and drills.
The fully autonomous operation means
that the mine can operate 24 hours a day,
with all operations overseen from a remote
operation centre.
TECHNOLOGY
DAVID SJÖDIN
THE LULEÅ UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY IN SWEDEN
Drones and surveillance
Mining by its nature has a negative impact
on the environment. Whilst this is an
unavoidable reality, mining companies can
considerably reduce this impact by tracking
how resources are extracted and disposed of.
For example, automated drones can be used
to monitor excavation and extraction projects,
keeping detailed accounts on the spread
of waste products and harmful materials. By
introducing an element of accountability,
mining companies will become more
mindful of their activities and assess and
minimize subsequent knock-on effects.
Miningglobal.com 79
TECHNOLOGY

80 March 2021

On top of documenting the mine’s impact
on its surrounding ecosystem, drones can
also be used to assess pipeline infrastructure
and retention ponds, whilst also providing
safety surveillance in hazardous areas and
asset management across multiple sites. By
providing a detailed account of what cannot
be seen by eyes on the ground, drones are only
set to become more important to the smooth
and successful running of mining operations.
TECHNOLOGY
Future opportunities
Without doubt, the ongoing Covid-19
pandemic has highlighted how important
technological innovation is to delivering
cost efficiencies, enhancing sustainability
and providing new solutions to keeping
workforces safe across all sectors. The
mining industry is no exception.
Boris Ivanov, Global Commodities
Expert, said: “The mining sector can only
benefit from adopting digital technologies
and data analytics to optimise the
efficiency and effectiveness of mines,
boost asset performance, reduce risk and
mitigate against environmental concerns.
In addition, shifting human-run operations
to autonomous or semi-autonomous
remote-controlled mines will only work
to enhance the process along the entire
value chain.”
Technology is not just a factor in the
future of mining operations, it’s also
affecting the market output. For example,
the growing use of smartphones, tablets,
batteries and the push for electric vehicles
has led to a rise in demand for rare earth
elements and lithium.
“Ultimately, by delivering modern, safe
and productive mines, technological
innovations have the capacity to help
make mining a valuable enterprise. Now
it’s up to industry leaders to connect
people, equipment, data and insights by
harnessing digital technologies to drive
operational excellence,” added Ivanov.
In a rapidly changing world, mining
companies need to be more agile,
resilient, and transformative. Accelerating
the digitization of the mining industry has
several advantages.
The only question remains the speed
of adoption.
Miningglobal.com 81
SOURCE TO PAY

Automation
and
Digital Key
to
POST-COVID
Procurement

82 March 2021
 SOURCE TO PAY

Data enrichment and

M
ost companies have some form of
automation in place in their current
advanced analytics are source-to-pay (S2P) operations
transforming source and the concept is certainly nothing new
to most leading companies. But depending
to pay processes and on how developed they are, what sort of
the way companies business initiatives are prioritised, and where
track data throughout budget is allocated, some organisations are
far further along in their automation journey
their supply chain and than others.
operations The global pandemic has also placed
pressures on procurement and supply
WRITTEN BY: DOMINIC ELLIS chains like never before.
Historically, what held back capable
organisations from automating further was a
lack of understanding of what full automation
looks like in practice and what this futuristic
S2P environment entails. But now, in a
remote-working world, digital efficiencies
are essential from the mine to the office.
The benefits of automation of the
procurement function are varied, but
typically alleviate staff from manual,
time-consuming tasks such as:
• Addressing user search queries
• Generating a purchase order
• Confirming three-way matching
• Routing and tracking requests
• Analysing supplier performance
• Flagging areas of increased risk
concerning supplier sanctions
As with any sourcing, once tasks such as
these are automated, your team can focus
on strategy and analysis, bringing value
to procurement and your organisation
as a whole.
Procurement leaders play a central role
in mitigating supply-chain risks, protecting
cash, enhancing productivity in operations,
and making strategic choices that will help
the company bounce back with a more

miningglobal.com 83
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 SOURCE TO PAY

Managing the operational and supply-chain

impact of the coronavirus

resilient and competitive cost Industry benchmarks

base, according to McKinsey. suggest that most
The steps that Chief organizations waste 3 to
Organizations
Procurement Officers (CPOs) waste 4 percent of their overall
take now can also cement their
positions as critical creators
3-4% external spend on excessive
transaction costs, inefficiency,
of their overall
of value and true strategic external spend and noncompliance. For an
on excessive
partners in the organization. transaction costs,
organization with an annual
It recommends: inefficiency, and spend of $2 billion, eliminating
noncompliance
• CPOs can consider rolling out that leakage could send $70
a contract digitization solution million a year straight to the
For an organization
that will allow them to map, with an annual
bottom line.
query, and monetize contract spend of Companies must identify
terms going forward.  $2bn the best targets for automation
• Rethink the supply chain - eliminating that within their own processes.
CPOs may need to accelerate leakage could send Organizations can do this by
the onboarding of new $70mn first evaluating the current
suppliers while working million a year level of automation they have
on a safe and efficient straight to the implemented, compared with
bottom line
qualification process. what is technically achievable
• CPOs can build resilience in the supply for each task in the source-to-pay process.
chain by leading a comprehensive analysis They can then estimate the value of
across the entire supply-chain life cycle.  closing each gap.

miningglobal.com 85
SOURCE TO PAY
This value will come both from the
amount of work that can be automated and
from likely improvements in compliance,
cycle times, and payment terms associated
with each step. Any gains must be set against
the cost and complexity of implementing
suitable technologies. Robotic process
automation and smart work-flow solutions
are likely to be quicker and cheaper to
implement than sophisticated machine-
learning technologies and cognitive agents,
for example.
The emerging picture of the end-to-end
process will provide a comparison of the
relative benefits of addressing each step
within it, set against the relative cost and
difficulty of automating those steps.
86 March 2021
Two PRGX data and technology experts
recently discussed how analytics and data
enrichment can help companies overcome
S2P challenges.
“Whether it is applied to factors such as
True Net Cost or Days Payable Outstanding,
data enrichment and advanced analytics
have the power to transform how companies
track, categorize and analyze spend data,”
said Daniel Ebert, Senior Manager of
Analytics at PRGX.
Procurement challenges during pandemic
COVID-19 has acted as a massive restraint
on the agriculture, construction, and mining
machinery manufacturing market in 2020
as supply chains were disrupted due to
 SOURCE TO PAY

“Whether it is applied to factors such

as True Net Cost or Days Payable
Outstanding, data enrichment and
advanced analytics have the power
to transform how companies track,
categorize and analyze spend data”

trade restrictions and manufacturing activity to your customers to understand how

declined due to lockdowns imposed by
governments globally.
Deloitte has highlighted four key areas as
companies structure their procurement:
• Visibility is precious: Enhance the visibility
of your supply network to identify risks and
capacity constraints
• Supply is diversified: Assess the financial
health and reliability of your suppliers, and
strengthen the collaboration to leverage
cost optimisation potential
• Stock is rebalanced: Rebalance stock
levels and reassess your category
strategies to align with post-COVID
supply chain planning
• Customer demand is changing: Be close
their needs may have shifted
Accenture recommends a five-point
procurement list; put people first; secure
the supply base; unlock funds intelligently;
build resilience for the future; and innovate
with purpose.
Across the world, costs are escalating.
South Africa's mining industry estimates it
will cost around R300 million to help the
government roll out Covid-19 vaccines to
mineworkers and community members as
the country battles a surge in infections.
Company heads are adding up the collective
costs of procurement, transportation, and
storage of the vaccines - but costs can fall if
companies club together on logistics.

miningglobal.com 87
TOP TEN

88 March 2021
 TOP TEN

WOMEN
IN MINING
Mining Global profiles ten women making a WRITTEN BY:
difference to the global mining industry through DOMINIC ELLIS
their leadership, advocacy, and abilities. All 10
women have been chosen from the 2020 edition
of the ‘100 Global Inspirational Women in Mining’
list from the Women In Mining UK Advocacy Group

F
ounded in 2006, Women in
Mining UK is an advocacy
group that promotes the
employment, retention, and
progress of women in
the mining industry. .
Leveraging partnerships with
leading mining companies and
other industry participants, WIM
aims to push the business case
for diversity, inclusion, and the
economic advancement of women
in the sector. One of its key
initiatives is the biennial ‘100 Global
Inspirational Women in Mining’.
Such initiatives are incredibly
important with women filling less
than one-fifth of leadership roles
across global mining companies,
according to a recently released S&P
Global Market Intelligence analysis
of executives and board members.
They fill only about 12.9 percent of
C-suite positions in Europe, while
in the US and Canada, they occupy
just 11.5 percent of C-suite roles.
However, they are more likely
to have better representation in
executive roles more broadly, and
on company boards.
Mining Global presents 10
women leaders in the global mining
industry who are shaping the way
the industry moves forward, while
also providing inspiration to other
women about the opportunities
for success in this challenging and
demanding sector.
All 10 women have been chosen
from the 2020 edition of the ‘100
Global Inspirational Women in
Mining’ list.

Miningglobal.com 89
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TOP TEN
10
BONNIE LIU
CEO
GF Futures
Bonnie Liu has worked in the
commodities market since 2002 and
joined GF Future HK from Hong Kong
Exchanges and Clearing. GF Futures
operates as a futures brokerage company,
serving customers in Hong Kong. Shortly
after stepping into the role of CEO, Liu
convinced management to diversify their
business into bulks and other types of
energy products within the sector. Driving
the project, Liu oversaw everything
from designing the business model and
forecasting financials, through to building
the team and finding the customers.
After three years of hard work, GF Futures
has become the biggest iron ore house in
the Chinese market and was rewarded by
the SGX as the best performing Chinese
house (iron ore) for 2019 and 2020.
92 March 2021
09
AMANDA LACAZE
CEO and managing director
Lynas Corporation
Although Amanda Lacaze has had
a diverse and successful career in
marketing and telecoms, she is perhaps
best known for leading the remarkable
turnaround of Lynas Corporation,
bringing the company back from a 99
percent drop in its share price.
Lynas is an integrated source of rare
earth, being the only producer of
scale of separated rare earths outside
of China, and the second largest in
the world. The company’s rare earths
deposit in Mt Weld, Western Australia
is one of the highest-grade rare earth
mines in the world; and Lynas also
operates the world’s largest single rare
earths processing plant in Malaysia.
The company’s success is testament
to the work Lacaze has put in since
stepping in as CEO six years ago. The
turnaround isn’t just limited to the
balance sheet, with the company’s
female workforce growing from 51 to
120 – mainly in operational roles, while
there is a strong focus on retaining
and promoting qualified women into
positions of leadership.

08
NATALIA KAYBALINA
Managing Director
Taseevskoye, Highland Gold
Natalia Kaybalina manages the Tasee-
vskoye mine in Siberia, one of the largest
gold mines in the world. Born in Eastern
Kazakhstan, Kaybalina moved to Russia in
2009, working initially in the Trans-Baikal
Territory before moving to Moscow.
Kaybalina oversees the Taseevskoye
deposit, which includes two adjacent
sites – the Baley tailings project and
the Sredniy Golgotay deposit. The
predominantly underground mining
operation is staffed almost entirely by
a male team of about one and a half
thousand persons.
In addition to being a surveyor by
training, Kaybalina is also a sociologist,
having completed a masters programme
at Transbaikal State University’s School
of Sociology.
TOP TEN
07
GAY HUEY EVANS
Chairman
London Metal Exchange
As chairman of London Metal Exchange,
Gay Huey Evans has led a major
technology infrastructure rebuild and
steered LME’s diversity and inclusion
agenda and sustainability initiatives. She
also sits on a number of boards, is a Trustee
of the Beacon Collaborative and Wellbeing
of Women, serves on Chatham House’s
20th Century Committee, while she
is also a member of the US Council on
Foreign Relations. She serves on the boards
of Standard Chartered, ConocoPhillips,
IHS Markit and HM Treasury.
Over the course of a 30-year career,
Evans has worked within the finance
and commodity industry as both an
established market practitioner and
regulator, giving her deep expertise
across commerce, risk, governance,
policy, and regulation in capital markets.
In 2016, she was awarded an OBE for
services to the financial service industry
and diversity.
Miningglobal.com 93
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06
FLORENCE DRUMMOND
Co-founder and CEO
Indigenous Women in Mining
and Resources Australia
Florence Drummond is the co-founder
and CEO of Indigenous Women in
Mining and Resources Australia, a
network created with her sister Jessica,
to showcase Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander women in the mining sector.
A Dauareb Wuthathi woman, Drummond
is focused on working with the
mining industry to create sustainable
opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people in Australia’s mining
sector. Having joined the industry as a
mine operator, Drummond aims to create
a platform for voice and visibility for
Indigenous women in Australia’s mining
sector and globally. She believes that
relations with host communities
and indigenous people are
foundational to the industry’s
future, and she hopes to use
her perspective, experience,
and position to advance
that cause.
TOP TEN
05
AIDA DIOP NDIAYE
President
Women in Mining Senegal
A geologist by training, Aida Diop Ndiaye
is the president of Women in Mining
Senegal and an activist who pushes for
social progress through action. Since 2012,
she has worked to promote women’s
leadership, inclusion, and participation
in mineral resource governance. She
has actively been involved in science
and technology education for girls, and
a defender of women’s rights, as well as
minority populations.
Ndiaye is a founding member of Women
in Mining Senegal and is also responsible
for the portfolio of external relations and
communications committee of Women
in Mining of West Africa (WIMOWA).
She has ten years of experience in
the extractive sector (mining, oil and
gas) which has allowed her to acquire
skills ranging from exploration, to the
governance of extractive industries
through the management
and development of
mining projects.
Miningglobal.com 95
TOP TEN
04
SERPIL DEMIREL
CEO
Esan
Metallurgical engineer Serpil Demirel
first began her career in the mining
industry in sales, and gradually
moved up the corporate ladder into
leadership roles. She is known for her
focus on developing company culture
and shaping that culture to meet the
changing needs of both the company
and the broader business environment.
Since her appointment as CEO, Demirel
has focused on preparing the company
for the future – profitable growth,
sustainability, digital transformation,
research and development and
innovation are particularly high on her
agenda. Furthermore, she also is keen
to ensure that women feel welcome at
Esan and has tailored recruitment and
workplace policies in support of her
ambitions to turn the company into a
diverse, forward-looking entity. As a
result, Esan currently has the highest
percentage of female employees across
the entire Turkish mining industry.
96 March 2021
03
ZENZI AWASES
President
Women in Mining
Association of Namibia
Zenzi Awases is the president of the
Women in Mining Association of
Namibia. A geologist with 15 years
of experience exploring and mining a
paleo-placer diamond deposit along the
southwestern coast of Namibia, Awases
entered the mining industry almost by
accident, having dreamed of wanting to
be a lawyer.
Since then, she has gone from strength
to strength, becoming a vocal leader,
mentor and advocate for gender diversity
in mining. Awases was named founding
president of the Women in Mining
Association of Namibia (WiMAN) in
April 2017, and in November 2019, was
elected to the Board of the Association
of Women in Mining Africa (AWIMA), as
the representative for Southern Africa.
 02
TOP TEN

EVA ARIAS
Executive president
Compañía Minera Poderosa

Eva Arias is the executive president

(board and company) of Compañía
Minera Poderosa in Peru. Although
coming from a family with a long
history of being involved in mining,
Arias is originally an architect by
trade. Early on her career, she, along
with two friends, opened a small –
but successful – architecture and
construction company. It was only
in 1977 that she decided to join her
family’s mining business and set about
carrying on her father’s legacy.
As executive president, Arias focuses on
preparing her company, workforce and
industry for the many challenges that are
rapidly converging. These include social
challenges around the mine’s relationship
with its community, government and However, the most challenging moment
workers; the challenges around operational of Eva Arias’ mining life has been driving
efficiency with minimal environmental Poderosa’s recovery from crisis, where
impact and the highest possible safety within three five-year cycles, she oversaw
standards; and the technology challenges the evolution of the company from a
highlighted by the pandemic, where bankrupt entity to the most profitable
ways of working and living have been company in Peru by 2019 – not just in
transformed completely. mining, but across all sectors.

Miningglobal.com 97
TOP TEN

98 March 2021

HILDE MERETE AASHEIM
President and CEO
Hydro
Hilde Merete Aasheim became president
and CEO of Hydro – the world’s largest
integrated aluminium business – in
May 2019. Prior to the company’s
reorganisation of business areas in March
2009, Aasheim served as executive
vice president for the Aluminium Metal
business area since November 2008.
She joined Hydro in October 2005 as
executive vice president for Leadership
and Culture (human resources, health,
environment, safety, and corporate
social responsibility). In January 2007,
she led the planning of the integration
between Hydro’s oil and gas activities
and Statoil. When the merger closed,
TOP TEN
she became executive vice president of
staff functions and corporate services in
StatoilHydro.
In her role as president and CEO of
Hydro, she is focused on the company
playing an important role in the global
green transition, stating that while
Hydro has amongst the lowest carbon
footprints for aluminium production in
the world, she intends to lower it further.
Aasheim adds that the mining industry
needs to ‘walk the talk’ when it comes to
sustainability by educating consumers
and encouraging them to demand more
information about the origin of the
materials they are buying.
Miningglobal.com 99
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