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As one of Australia’s largest independent coal producers, Westfarmers Curragh has made further investments into site safety, training and operational efficiency in the way it inducts, trains and up-skills new and existing operators for its Curragh North expansion. Wesfarmers Curragh will be integrating ThoroughTec’s new CYBERMINE4 surface mining simulators into its training programs to further ensure that its ramp up will be done so in the most safe, productive and environmentally kinder way.
Business Spectator recently reported that Wesfarmers Curragh mine quarterly production was up 28.4 percent. The company says that production in the mine is 1,906,000 tons, comprising 1,253,000 tons of metallurgical coal and 653,000 tons of steaming coal. Construction works are ongoing for the expansion of the Curragh mine up to 8.5 million tpa of export metallurgical coal capacity. Project completion is expected in the first quarter of 2012 with the drilling program beginning in April.
Greg Sheppard, Wesfarmers Curragh’s Manager of Engineering & Projects, commented: “We had taken a most diligent review of the major mining simulator players in the Market. ThoroughTec impressed us with their superior accuracy, authenticity and broad coverage of machines.” Wesfarmers has purchased ThoroughTec Simulation’s unique 6 degrees of freedom (DOF) base simulator unit and interchangeable cabs for the Komatsu 730E Truck, CAT D10T Dozer and Bucyrus-Eyrie 1570-W dragline.
Richard Giumelli from Wesfarmers Mining Services further commented: “ThoroughTec’s ability to customize to our needs and schedule is just the kind of customer-centric partner we are looking for to ensure continued adaptability to our business dynamics.” To further increase the effectiveness of the training experience on the simulators, ThoroughTec will also be developing customised CYBERMINE “own mine worlds” which will accurately replicate the operating conditions of the mine. Student operators of each of the equipment variants will therefore be familiar with Wesfarmers Curragh’s mining environment even before venturing out into the mine site.
Mark Walker, ThoroughTec Simulation’s Executive Director of Mining & Construction said: “We are very pleased to have earned Wesfarmers trust in this most important evolution of their operator training abilities. Their leadership and commitment to enhancing operator competency and safety is something we greatly admire. We are confident that CYBERMINE4 will be a powerful tool towards enabling this ambition.”
About Wesfarmers Curragh Pty Ltd
Curragh Mine is operated by Wesfarmers Curragh Pty Ltd and covers an area of approximately 12,600 hectares in the coal-rich Bowen Basin of Central Queensland. One ofAustralia’s largest independent coal producers, Curragh currently produces 6.5 million tonnes of export coal and 2.5 million tonnes of domestic coal per year.
About ThoroughTec Simulation
ThoroughTec has been designing and manufacturing simulators for over 20 years and is the number one simulator systems supplier to the South African Military and the largest supplier of both surface and underground simulators to the mining and construction industries globally, with well over 500 simulator units deployed worldwide
