MAXAM is the sole provider of blasting solutions for the Boddington bauxite mine, managed by South32 Worsley Alumina. The mine supplies bauxite ore to Worsley’s alumina refinery, one of the largest alumina refineries in the world.
As part of a global tender for services and products, MAXAM Civil Explosives’ has been selected for 3 years as Worsley’s explosives and solutions provider at the Boddington Bauxite Mine situated in the south-west region of Australia.
The South32 Worsley Alumina asset consists of the bauxite mine located near Boddington, an overland conveyor and an alumina refinery located approximately 150km south of Perth and 15km northwest of the town of Collie in Western Australia’s south-west region. South32 owns 86 per cent of the Worsley Alumina asset in a joint venture with Japan Alumina and Sojitz. MAXAM Australia will supply all blasting solutions for the next 3 years to the Boddington Bauxite Mine’s Saddleback and Marradong sites. MAXAM is providing down the hole services by first supplying its flagship RIOFLEX 10,000 bulk watergel explosives together with RIONEL non-electric detonators and other blasting accessories and will be delivering the highly water resistant RIOFLEX 7,000 in later months, all serviced from MAXAM Australia’s Baldivis facilities.
MAXAM currently has 5 employees working at the Boddington site including two MAXAM mobile service unit (or flexi-truck) operators from the local area and 2 highly-skilled and especially-trained employees and, a MAXAM Civil Explosive’s Manager. MAXAM has also built a custom 8×8 mobile service unit (MSU) to specifically adapt to the site’s ‘surface mining’ conditions that include difficult terrain contours.
MAXAM’s proven experience carrying out similar projects around the world makes it a natural fit for Worsley’s operations. Its global logistics system, which relies on production plants located on all five continents, reinforces the Company’s ability to supply the latest-generation products to meet a wide variety of challenges, while its in-house developed technology ensures conditions that are both safe and efficient.
Custom-tailored products and services
In this manner, MAXAM Civil Explosives is providing its RIOFLEX borehole loading services to South32 Worsley Alumina.
First launched in 1998, RIOFLEX is MAXAM’s flagship watergel explosive, developed with the Company’s own in-house R&D – key to MAXAM’s technological independence. Rioflex has consistently delivered exceptional results for MAXAM’s clients worldwide, thanks to its versatility and high energy. It’s effective in both cartridge and bulk formats and can be used in extreme dry or wet conditions. It also has the proven ability to be deployed across an extreme temperature range, as it is currently used in climates ranging from +40 degrees C in sub-Saharan Africa to -40 degrees C in Siberia, Central Asia and Canada
MAXAM in Australia
MAXAM has been operating in Australia since 1988, when one of its predecessor companies, ERT, acquired ETS, a small, local company. Today, MAXAM employs over 150 people in the country. Since its establishment in Australia, the company has supplied products and blasting services to large mining and extraction companies, such as Holcim and Hanson, having grown to have a majority supply portion of the quarry market and, growing with key mining clients throughout the country.
With its headquarters in Brisbane, and with production facilities in Bajool (Queensland) and Baldivis (Western Australia), MAXAM provides technical assistance services, as well as products (civil explosives and initiation systems) to large mining and quarrying companies throughout Australia.
Australia is one of the world’s richest countries in mineral resources, such as iron, coal, and gold, as well as the site of a substantial market in the areas of carrying and construction-related resources.
MAXAM – www.maxam.net
MAXAM is a service and industrial group that operates on a global scale by developing, manufacturing and commercializing civil explosives and initiation systems for mining, quarries and construction; cartridges, shotgun shells and smokeless powder for hunting and sports use; and products for the defense industry. Additionally, MAXAM is a supplier of key raw materials for nitro chemical activity, generated for the company’s own internal needs as well as for sales to third parties. Finally, as a result of its drive towards innovative, sustainable development, MAXAM offers its clients a wide variety of solutions in the fields of safety and environmental conservation.
Founded by Alfred Nobel in 1872, MAXAM concluded 2013 with a yearly turnover of approximately 1.1 billion euros. It is present in all of the world’s major mining areas, with production sites in over 45 countries, an active market presence in more than 100 others, and more than 6000 employees spread across five continents.