Bucyrus says it has improved nonproductive longwall move time with the introduction of a Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) to its Vers-A-Trac® 650 model. Approximately 50 of these successful roof support carriers have been shipped since the product’s introduction in 2004. The Vers-A-Trac 650AC, featuring the Bucyrus HiPAC10 control system, represents the latest generation of heavy roof [...]

Bucyrus International, the world leader in walking dragline design and manufacturing, announced today the signing of a new machine contract with BHP Billiton Mitsubishi Alliance (BMA), Australia for supply of a new 8750 walking dragline. BMA has extensive experience with Bucyrus’ machines and BMA officials have once decided that a Bucyrus dragline provides the best solution [...]

Following the successful bid to grant World Heritage Site (WHS) status to the mining landscape of both Cornwall and West Devon in England, the team behind the project is now building links with Cornish Mining communities across the world. This week sees international mining heritage heritage consultant Barry Gamble, from that southwest region of England, travelling to [...]

China has unveiled an economic stimulus program which it says totals $586 billion. It is aiming to bolster domestic demand and help avert a global recession. According to Andrew Batson for the Wall Street Journal, “though the two-year package appeared to include some previously announced measures, its size was clearly designed to revive the fading [...]

The inexorable growth of China and other developing economies will ensure that demand for industrial metals will continue to grow in the long term, according to the head of Australian-listed copper explorer, Citadel Resource Group. In the keynote address to the 21st annual LME Downunder dinner in Melbourne, Australia, Citadel’s CEO, Ms Inés Scotland, said [...]

The World Coal Institute (WCI) has appointed Dr Don Elder as its new Chairman. Elder was elected Chairman at the 48th WCI Board Meeting held in Brussels and succeeds Preston Chiaro. A Director of the WCI since 2003, Elder is Chief Executive Officer of Solid Energy New Zealand, New Zealand’s largest primary energy producer. Solid [...]

Since 1997 The Fraser Institute has undertaken the  prestigious and confidential Annual Survey of Mining Companies. The mining survey measures the investment attractiveness of 71 jurisdictions around the world based on both government policy and resource endowments. Information from the survey is used by mining executives to monitor the investment attractiveness of different parts of the [...]

Sustainability through Resource Conservation and Recycling (SRCR ‘09) sponsored by CSense, will be held at the beautiful Vineyard Hotel, Cape Town, South Africa, in April, immediately preceding Bio and Hydrometallurgy ‘09 and Toxic Metals ‘09 at the same venue. The rapid growth of the world economy is straining the sustainable use of natural resources due to [...]

Atlas Copco has won an order to supply the iron ore mining company LKAB with equipment for rock reinforcement, for its Kiruna and Malmberget mines in Sweden. Kiruna is one of the largest underground mines in the world. The value of the order, which includes an extensive service agreement, is about SEK140 million.

The Blacksmith Institute, in collaboration with Green Cross Switzerland, recently released a report titled The World’s Worst Pollution Problems. The top ten problems, detailed in this report, include, in first place, artisanal gold mining followed in second place by contaminated surface water. Then, ranked in fourth place were industrial mining activities, followed by, in sixth [...]

Alcoa’s Kwinana alumina refinery in Australia was recognised for excellence in the Australian mining industry, being named ‘Minerals Processing Plant of the Year’ at the annual Australian Mining Prospect Awards. The award is presented to an organisation which has improved productivity, safety, and environmental standards or has reached notable milestones using new technology, innovative processes [...]

In March, Paterson & Cooke will give two presentations of their annual course on the design of slurry pipeline systems at the Breakwater Lodge in Cape Town’s Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. The event, which has been running since 1996, is aimed at providing guidance for the design of slurry pipeline systems for the mining and [...]