Fennoscandian Exploration & Mining (FEM), which is being held next week, is one of Europe's largest events for mineral exploration and mining. This year it welcomes a record number of 900 participants from 20 different nations. Among the participants, there are managerial level decision makers and experts from mining companies, mining service organisations and the public sector.

MineARC recently released two new refuge models aimed at the coal mining industry in Australia/NZ, the new CoalSAFE refuge chamber and the Change-Over-Station (COS). The MineARC COS is designed to facilitate self-escape from the mine during an emergency. Stocked with up to 40 self rescuers (SCSRs) and a CABA quick-fill-station, the COS's ‘walk-through' layout aids miners and other personnel in stepping out of the mine, and out of harms way.

Capital Drilling Ltd, the emerging and developing markets drilling company, has further contract wins and extensions, for Centamin Egypt, African Barrick and Thani Dubai Mining. These new contracts have increased the Company's rig fleet from 77 rigs at the half-year end to 83 rigs currently.

Sedgman has won the 2011 Premier of Queensland Export Award in the Minerals and Energy category. This follows on from 2010 wins at both Queensland and National export awards, in the Large Services category. Now Sedgman will represent Queensland in the Minerals and Energy category at the 2011 Australian Export Awards in December.

Anaconda Mining has successfully completed an extensive array of circuit upgrades and regularly scheduled maintenance with minimal downtime at its Pine Cove mill in Newfoundland. Anaconda planned to make modifications to various areas of the mill, precipitated by the replacement of its two rotary drum filters. As a result, during the latter part of September and early October, the Pine Cove team installed new drum filters, relined the primary ball mill, converted a pregnant solution tank to be a fourth leach tank, added a new pregnant solution tank, modified all leach tanks and performed other routine maintenance items.

Last month Andrew Keith, Mining Infrastructure Leader at Aurecon, presented a paper at the Innovative Bulk Material Export Solutions for Mining conference, held in Perth, Western Australia. The conference looked at innovative solutions to shiploading, transhipment and port infrastructure for mineral assets. Asked what the current trends are in the mining industry, Keith replied, “Ore transport is becoming more challenging as a result of climate change concerns in the community, greater expansion into remote locations, and the increased length and cost of the ore chain.

Eriez Magnetics Europe has announced the introduction of a new magnetic separator into their ProGrade range. The ProGrade Auto Kwik Clean (AKC) Grate captures problematic ferrous metals, with the added advantage of automated cleaning. According to the company, this preserves product purity whilst eliminating downtime of machinery and saving costs. The Eriez AKC Grate utilises Mega (10,500 gauss) Rare Earth magnetic strength and automatically discharges any collected iron due to pneumatic and electronic components.

International Mining's fortnightly project watch is a great way of keeping up to date with your peers - other mining companies, other consultants or other engineering companies. The fortnightly issue build into a global mine project overview. If you are a supplier - it is full of potential sales leads. Highlights of today's issue - the usual important and comprehensive fortnightly report on global projects, with some 50 pages of updates - also including a 15 Mt/y Coal Handling Plant (CHP) at the Pakri Barwadih project, NewGold's consolidation at the Blackwater gold project in British Columbia

Kennecott Eagle Minerals, a wholly owned unit of Rio Tinto, has awarded Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies a contract for the wastewater treatment plant at its Eagle mine located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Kennecott's Eagle Mine will be the only primary nickel mine operating in the USA and is expected to produce some 300 Mlb of nickel and 250 Mlb of copper over the life of the mine.

Bringing the best in high technology grinding: MIPAC makes the most of IsaMill advances MIPAC is working with Xstrata Technology on numerous IsaMill™ installations. MIPAC’s engineers are aiming to provide tailored design, control, instrumentation and commissioning for at least a dozen IsaMill installations in Canada, Peru and Australia.

Accurate weighing and measurement is essential for improving productivity - but quality measurement hasn't always been readily available for mobile conveyors, according to Soeren Schramm, Product Manager for Loadrite.

A new ARC Advisory Group market study has named ABB #1 Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) supplier in Asia and Latin America; #1 worldwide in the power generation, transmission and mining sectors. The findings are part of ARC's comprehensive market and technology analysis entitled Enterprise Asset Management and Field Service Management Solutions Worldwide Outlook.