Newcrest Mining will install a large-scale Cave Tracker System at its Cadia East mine in New South Wales.

Developed and manufactured by Brisbane-based Elexon Mining, the Cave Tracker System was conceived in collaboration with Newcrest, CRC Mining and Rio Tinto. Newcrest hosted the earliest trials of the prototype system at its Ridgeway Deeps mine.

Elexon Mining Product Manager Simon Steffen said, “The Cave Tracker System is a big step forward for the mining industry. It will enable mining companies to improve their capabilities to successfully ramp-up and operate cave mines, maximising safety and economic outcomes.”

“Newcrest’s order is another step forward for Elexon, proving that a collaborative approach to product development delivers innovative and value-adding solutions. Elexon is expecting that the world leaders in caving, Rio Tinto and Newcrest, will lead the way to higher performing cave projects through embracing innovative products such as Cave Tracker.”

Cave Tracker provides a real-time insight into cave flow and cave propagation. This insight closes a feedback loop that was not previously available. Cave Tracker greatly enhances a mine operator’s ability to proactively manage risks of cave mine projects.

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Dylan Whiteman and Simon Steffen with a crate load of Cave Tracker beacons destined for Newcrest’s Cadia East mine.

Some of the Elexon Mining team: John Ruys, Jared Millane, Dylan Whiteman, Simon Steffen

Cave Tracker system being activated

About the Cave Tracker System
The Cave Tracker System enables mines to more accurately determine the extent of the cave and track ore flow. Through the data gathered with the Cave Tracker System, the Mine Management team are able to make better decisions to protect the mine asset and keep it working as it should; safely and efficiently. The system operates through a series of beacons that are embedded in the mine, which can be tracked in 3D as they move with the fragmented rock of the ore-body. The data generated from Cave Tracker allows the Mining and Geotechnical Engineers to determine which parts of the cave are moving and which parts are not, and make proactive changes accordingly. The rate and direction of movement can also be established. Read more HERE.

About Elexon Mining
Elexon Mining is a Brisbane-based technology company that develops innovative geotechnical monitoring systems for underground and open pit mines. Elexon Mining’s products enable mines to better manage geotechnical risks that can impact safety and productivity in mining operations through enhanced understanding of ground movement.
Elexon Mining is a division of Elexon Electronics.
Website: www.elexonmining.com

About Newcrest Mining
Newcrest is one of the world’s largest gold mining companies and operates mines in four countries.

Newcrest’s mission is to deliver superior returns from finding, developing and operating gold/copper mines. Our vision is to be the Miner of Choice™.

We will lead the way in safe, responsible, efficient and profitable mining.

Website: www.newcrest.com.au

About CRC Mining
CRC Mining is an industry-driven, global leader in mining research and innovation. We develop and deliver breakthrough innovation and technologies that transform the productivity, sustainability and safety of the mining industry. CRC Mining partners with universities and mining companies to collectively drive innovative development. These developments involve new and modified mining methods and processes, new mining technology and equipment. We accelerate commercial outcomes from research, and ensure they are available to the industry as rapidly and effectively as possible.

Note: from October 2016 CRC Mining announced a new operating name and structure – Mining3.

Website: www.mining3.com

Source: Mining Magazine, September 2013

Sub-level caving is a highly efficient, top-down, underground bulk mining method. Recent developments in sub-level cave mining have advanced the understanding of the technique and its production performance, which allow it to now be considered as a highly viable alternative to open stoping and, in some cases, even to block caving. In addition to a low unit cost, sub-level caving offers the following advantages over open stoping and block caving:

• Less up-front capital expenditure;
• Earlier access to the ore means revenue is generated early in the project;
• It can target bulk ore bodies more precisely;
• It is more flexible to adapt to metal value, production and scheduling requirements; and
• It presents opportunities for improvements in local geotechnical conditions

Historically, mining companies have been deterred from using sub-level caving because it involved significant uncertainties around cave propagation and ore flow.

Read the rest of the article published in the September 2013 edition of the Mining Magazine.

Elexon is a pioneer in electronically measuring ore recovery to assist underground mines in improving their extraction performance. Elexon’s mining solutions are used globally with clients across Australia and around the globe – including mines in Canada, Indonesia, Chile, Sweden and the USA. Dylan Whiteman, the Project Manager for Elexon Mining’s Smart Marker System and Cave Tracker System, talks about his role and the innovative technology used by these products.

What does your role at Elexon entail?
As the project manager I am responsible for delivering Elexon’s new projects to our clients on time and within budget.

It is very challenging to develop innovative electronic solutions for underground mines, as it involves equal measures of research and development. This requires the team to work very closely with mining companies and their mine sites, to trial the new technologies and products, which we are developing.

My work ranges from system requirements specification and architecture design to project financing, as well as planning and recruitment. The role extends to the first sales of new systems where the benefits, performance and installation details are discussed with new clients.

What do you enjoy most about your job?
It would have to be the challenging nature of underground monitoring. What we are doing has never been done before in the mining industry – so it is very exciting.

We are helping to provide answers to fundamental questions about underground rock-flow and ore-recovery. No one has been able to answer these questions before.

How does the technology Elexon creates differ from similar products available on the market? What makes it unique?
The products we develop, are unique. There are no other products for the mass mining industry, which are capable of being buried deep underground and tracked in real time over many years to measure ore flow and recovery.

There really is no other company that can do what we do.

How can the solutions Elexon is creating assist resource companies improve the way in which they operate?
Our solutions offer improvements to the mining industry in the areas of safety, ore recovery, process control and efficiency.

Miners are of course already very safety conscious, but the ability to monitor underground ore movement during production helps to further improve the level of safety. One example is by being able to monitor cave propagation on a day-by-day basis.

Improvements to ore recovery are being brought about by the ability to observe how the ore is actually flowing during extraction.

If ore is not moving as predicted it becomes possible to change draw or blast strategies. We can then observe how these changes have affected the ore flow. This offers mine managers and operators a level of process control that has never been available before.

Essentially our products offer a set of eyes into the mine.

Which resource companies are currently using Elexon’s technology?
Companies currently using our technology include, Newcrest, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, LKAB and Xstrata at various locations around the world. We are also in discussions with other resource companies that are interested in our products.

What do you enjoy doing if not working on Elexon’s unique technology solutions for the mining industry?
I enjoy music and spending time with my young family. I also enjoy hiking – but our young ones are a little too small for this yet!

The highlight for mass mining specialists around the world is Massmin. This year’s event, which was held from June 10-14 in Canada, was no different, with a strong presence of caving specialists.

We heard from a range of speakers, including Alan Moss (Rio Tinto), who spoke about, “Back to the basics – The need to measure”. We were delighted that the presentation was in line with the core message of our own presentation held during the conference.

A growing number of presentations at the conference also contained references to the Smart Marker System, which is excellent news, as it reinforces the work we do.

Our discussions with specialists from research institutions, mining and consulting companies during Massmin have confirmed our approach – that we need to close the feedback loop in underground mining in order to improve mining performance by reducing dilution and ore loss.

Our goal is to achieve real improvements in ore grade.  A systematic way of achieving this goal is for mines to adopt a system of measuring their ore flow, analyzing the data, trying changes to the mining method and then measuring the result. Our meetings at Massmin have made us even more confident that real improvements will be found by repeating this process. A number of mines are now planning to use Smart Markers to implement this approach.

We are delighted to have met generations of intelligent, curious and experienced caving professionals, and look forward to working together with them and contributing our share to make caving a successful low-cost and low–risk mining method. The future of caving is bright.