Satellite for tracking vehicles in the African mining business

In the remote regions of Western Ghana, a gold mining company was faced with the dilemma of choosing between building a new gold mill at a mining site where gold ore was recently discovered versus milling at an existing site 80 km/50 miles from the new location. Like many other companies operating in the Sub Saharan region and around the world, the company had to incorporate the priority of balancing the cost with optimization and efficiency.

Because the new gold mill would carry an intensive cost and there was an alternative that would require a relatively short haul, it made financial sense to transport ore to the existing mill site rather than invest in new infrastructure to achieve maximum results and benefits. While this would help to keep major capital investment costs down, the mining company still struggled with the logistics and security of the ore being transported between sites.

The issues associated with transportation could not be solved with a cellular solution because the infrastructure in Western Ghana didn’t offer consistent communication that security standards required by the mining company. Three major challenges emerged as they moved ore from the pit to the mill site:

1. The mining company was not able to reliably monitor the location of trucks.
2. Drivers could not share information about bad roads, fallen trees, flooding, vehicle breakdown etc. This slowed operations drastically because the route could not be completed and u-turns on harrowing mountainous terrain was impossible.
3. In transit fuel and gold ore theft was a major issue that added to operating costs and reduced profitability.

The Solution

ATRAMS, an Asset Management and Wireless Tracking company, developed a unique solution for the mining company using SkyWave’s satellite/cellular terminal to transmit data between office staff, site operators, drivers and assets.

“Using the M2M satellite communications solution, the mining company now communicates with the drivers and monitor the trucks regardless of the quality of the cellular network,” explained Myles Owusu, ATRAMS finance and operations, Africa. We have designed a solution that uses the SkyWave terminals to collect data from fuel-level sensors and sent via text message for monitoring. The same process is used to track any change in cargo weight while trucks are in transit.”

The technology also enables two-way communication between drivers and the office when there is no cellular coverage. “Using cost-effective text messaging via satellite, drivers are now able to let appropriate teams know if there is a road obstruction, a malfunction, or other issue that is slowing or halting movement,” added Owasu.  The solution also allows dispatch to warn drivers of upcoming weather conditions, change in routes etc.

Terminals were fitted in each truck and designed to offer the following solutions:

• Office personnel work from a web portal to send and receive messages, which may include monitoring and tracking data or texts from drivers. Canned messages are preloaded for recurring tasks and issues. A two word text message “Fallen Tree” or “Stuck in Mud” gives the recovery team all the information it needs to solve the issue on the first visit.
• The solution’s scalability allows a configuration for real time fuel monitoring. Data transmission intervals can be remotely configured to meet the company’s needs, whether on-demand, once per hour or once every few days. The satellite terminals also enable location-based decisions, including how often to transmit data based on programmed geofences.
• Haul roads are geofenced to help prevent drivers from making unauthorized stops in specified zones. This prevents ore theft and fuel siphoning. The solution is designed to monitor the speed of a truck. For instance, if the speed drops below 2km/hr for 30secs in an unauthorized zone, a Red Alert message is sent every minute to the office based control station for immediate action. This allows the control station to immediately dispatch a patrol team as security protocol dictates.

The Results

With real time vehicle monitoring and driver scheduling for ore haulage, managers know where vehicles were at any time in transit and are informed immediately if a truck cannot move forward. This has cut the average travel time between the mine and the mill significantly.

With the introduction of satellite communications, unauthorized stops, ore and fuel thefts/siphoning were eliminated. Managers were able to monitor fuel usage in real time and know exactly when and where fuel losses were occurring –  reducing losses, costs, and delays while creating and optimized and efficient working team.

Sidebar:

 The benefits of satellite-based fleet tracking solution include:

• Complete coverage – Unlike cellular, satellite-based tracking solutions provide the communication coverage required for tracking solutions in the world’s most remote regions.
• Accurate reports and big picture – Fleet management solutions like that provided by ATRAMS can only provide the full picture with consistent field data. Satellite communication ensures that customers have a complete picture of how the vehicle is being used at all times.
• Cost-effective – Satellite messaging terminals are designed for small data requirements and so the initial investment in the equipment and ongoing airtime is typically one-third or less than other satellite solutions.
• Flexible – Solutions using SkyWave terminals can implement functions like fuel monitoring and theft detection that reduce costs and keep the business operating at peak efficiency.

For more information, visit ATRAMS.

Anu Sood is the Product Marketing Manager for SkyWave, the global provider of wireless data communications for dependable communication, tracking, monitoring and remote management of fixed and mobile assets.  She works with customers around the world to develop, promote and market their unique satellite-based Machine-to-Machine (M2M) solutions. To learn more about how to choose a mobile connection and the benefits of SkyWave products and services, visit www.skywave.com.