Technological revolution set to change Australian mining industry

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)

Technological Revolution set to change Australian mining industry

Mining in Australia is “on the cusp of a major generational change” where smart technology and big data will deliver productivity in an ever more challenging environment, according to leading research scientists.

“Real time sensors and data processing allow us to operate in a very data rich environment with much more precise control over the operation” says Jonathan Law, the director of CSIRO’s Minerals Down Under Flagship.

This framework will allow the sector to be more efficient and is a “fundamental change that’s going to come very quickly” he explains.

Jonathan will outline the latest technological applications about to transform current operations as well as his longer term research & development strategies when he presents to Chief Operating Officers from some of the biggest names in the sector at the Media Corp International Summit in October later this year.

We are thrilled to have Jonathan speaking at the COO event. If anyone knows the future of mining in Australia, it’s him. CSIRO is Australia’s national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world. So, having Jonathan attend and speak at the summit in October has proved the value of this event to the COOs of Australia’s mining industry.

The industry is all about innovation at the moment. Mining companies can either go with this innovative time or sink as a company. It’s as simple as that. Jonathan will provide the leading COOs with some invaluable and well-accomplished advice on this subject which these leading COOs are lucky to take away with them.”

-Tyron McGurgan, Director of COO Leaders Mining Summit & CEO Media Corp International.

The industry is facing tough conditions across the board. Fluctuating commodity prices coupled with declining current resources, new deposits that are harder to find, harder to get at and often need specialised processing, all put downward pressure on productivity. There is also strong social and economic competition for resources like water and energy and skill shortages which drive operating costs up.

Automated machinery is already a reality on some mine sites. Iron ore operations in the Pilbara are utilising remotely operated machinery, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. Following the example of manufacturing, which uses complex interaction of machinery on the production line and standardised equipment, will deliver significant productivity gains for the resources sector.

“At the moment much of the technology that’s deployed is actually uniquely made for that specific mining operation and we see great opportunities to modularise and standardise equipment and monitor and deploy that equipment from remote sites so we can start to take advantage of those economies of scale that the industry hasn’t been able to take advantage of so far.”

Automation has the potential to deliver 24 hour operations with real time information that can be remotely operated. This reduces the size of the onsite workforce, cuts labour costs, improves health and safety and makes it easier to operate in inhospitable environments.

The science community is already working on more efficient processing methods. One of the latest techniques being trialled is the use of nitric acid in nickel laterite processing, developed in partnership with Direct Nickel. It will unlock 70 per cent of the world’s nickel and make laterite mining competitive with sulphide mining, the source of the bulk of Australia’s current production.

But it’s not just high-tech solutions that will make the difference. Reducing waste, recycling materials and finding uses for by-products that are currently discarded are all strategies that will impact the sector’s bottom line and help meet the growing demand for social and environmental responsibility.

But the key to success on the world stage, according to Jonathan Law, is a different approach to future development. The entire industry, in partnership with the research community, needs to co-operate and share innovation and be less protective of intellectual property.

“There is a lot of repetitiveness in the system at the moment and a lot of technologies end up stranded because they are either protected by one company or they simply don’t have a commercial partner to deliver them into the market.”

But change is afoot says Jonathan. “Many in the industry are realising that being over- protective of intellectual property actually works against the larger scale savings that potentially that come from having standard technologies deployed across the industry.”

Minerals Down Under aims to lead research and development across the sector. “If we can really balance the research community with the service providers and with the consumers of mining technologies in a more effective way, we could really transform the value that we get from our investment in mining research.”

For more info please listen to Jonathan Law’s podcast:

Background to COO Leaders Mining Summit

The COO Leaders Mining Summit 2013 is organised by Media Corp International and is being held on the 9-10 October in the Rendezvous Hotel, Perth.

It is Australia’s ONLY event designed specifically for COO leaders from within Australia’s major mining companies to discuss and interact as one over a range of important issues currently facing the industry.

The current challenges and opportunities will be highlighted through visionary keynote presentations, round-table sessions, interactive workshops, panel discussions and think tank sessions delivered by the most esteemed peers and thought leaders in the mining community. The one-to-one meetings with leading solution providers will also provide COOs with a wealth of expertise, while the informal networking opportunities, gala dinners and leisure activities create a unique interactive forum.

For more information please visit: http://cooleaders.com.au/

If you are interested in attending as a COO/solution provider/speaker or as media please contact Orla Hanby or call +61 (2) 8188 8503

For any further enquiries please contact:
Orla Hanby – Marketing Manager, Media Corp International
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61(2)8188 8503