Cradle to grave
New equipment
exceeds expectations
B
dependable back-up support and an
efficient spare parts service.
“We selected Hyundai excavators
because of their reputation for high
performance in tough operating
conditions, impressive fuel efficiency, and
minimal downtime. These machines have
thus far delivered on all expectations,”
says Dabner.
The Hyundai R520LC-9S hydraulic
crawler excavator, with horsepower
ratings of 363kW gross / 255kW net,
is now in operation at this site and
according to Basil Read, this machine is
achieving impressive productivity.
The Hyundai R850LC-9S tracked
excavator has a Cummins QSX15
engine, with dual overhead cams for
optimum performance. Computerised
work modes allow the operator to
match performance to site conditions.
Hyundai machines have been designed
for easy refuelling on site, and for easy
serviceability and reduced maintenance
time, there is ground-line access to
critical services and grease points.
Also operating at this project are two
22 T Hyundai R220LC-9S tracked
excavators that boast a bucket digging
force (2m arm) of 133.4kN and are
fitted with Hyundai HM 5.9 engines,
offering a fuel consumption of only
16.6ℓ/h. These versatile machines, which
are self-stabilising due to their weight,
provide their own anchor support and can
manoeuvre over arduous and steep terrain.
Basil Read has secured other
contracts in southern Africa, including
the extension of a drilling project and
a load and haul contract in Limpopo,
as well as contracts at copper and zinc
mines in Namibia.
asil Read’s mining division,
specialists in hard and soft rock
mining, has extended its fleet
of mobile mining equipment with
the addition of four new Hyundai
excavators, which have been deployed to
a diamond mine in Lesotho.
“This project, which commenced in
February 2018, involves having to move
between 600 000 and 700 000 tons of
material per month in the first year
and thereafter ramping up over time
to quantities potentially exceeding one
million tons of material per month,” says
Anton Cilliers, operational director at
Basil Read. “In order for us to meet the
project deadline, we have to operate this
site 24 hours a day. An around-the-clock
operation like this is not a new concept
for Basil Read and thus far the Hyundai
equipment has exceeded performance
expectations.
“Challenges at the Lesotho site
include steep, muddy, and narrow roads,
which are difficult for large machines
to be transported on, as well as extreme
weather conditions — Lesotho often
experiences four seasons in one day,
including snow.
“The Basil Read team is also mindful
in every project to minimise the
impact of our operations on the natural
environment,” says Cilliers.
Clive Dabner, plant director at Basil
Read, says that in the plant selection
process, the company had to consider
certain critical factors: “It is important
to match the correct size machine
to project requirements; we have to
consider budget restraints; and we
need to find a reputable supplier with
a proven track record that will provide
Basil Read has invested in Hyundai R850Lc-9S tracked excavators for operation in Lesotho.
www.miningmirror.co.za
The key
is water
management
A
s climate change becomes
more pronounced and new
rainfall patterns become
more apparent, water management
is emerging as the pre-eminent
sustainability issue within the
global energy and mining resource
industries.
With water scarcity becoming
a reality, mining companies are
faced with numerous civil and
environmental pressures and
need to proactively review the
impact that their upstream and
downstream operations are having
on the availability and quality
of this non-renewable resource.
This includes having a deeper
understanding of where the mine
gets its water from, how it disposes
or recycles it, what the water is
being used for, potential losses
or gains, and the related risks
and opportunities — from both
a corporate and at an individual
operation site level. And, starting
to implement innovative solutions
that will reduce the mine’s reliance
on and usage of water.
One operational area that
stands to benefit significantly from
innovations that can assist with
dewatering, is mineral processing.
For instance, there are many
instances — and across Africa —
where a mineral processing plant
has been developed on site, or
nearby, but there are no smelters
for the beneficiation of the product
afterwards. This means that mine
companies are paying to transport
a product to the beneficiation plant
but because it still contains so much
water, the company loses out on
the cost of the water weight versus
tonnage of product transported.
Currently, few traditional
centrifugal pumps on the market
Continued on page 36
JANUARY 2019 MINING MIRROR
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