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Sunday, 06 September 15
AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGY IS CERTAINLY PART OF THE SOLUTION FOR IMPROVING PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY TO MAKE THE MINE OPERATIONS MORE PROFITABLE, HOWEVER............ - LUKE JALSEVAC
 "The Technology and Innovation in Mining 2015" production team at Information Exchange Group interviewed Luke Jalsevac, Director, Business Optimization Global Value Assurance, Kinross Gold Corporation, one of their speakers for TIM2015.
“ When the price of a commodity is rising, most companies focus on extracting as much from the ground as possible to capture the high margins, which may result in diminished rigor around operational excellence. When prices decline, they often overshoot to the downside, creating substantial financial pain for companies " - Luke Jalsevac
Q: The central theme behind the upcoming Summit is Innovation and Technology. From some of the innovative projects that you have been a part of at Kinross, can you share some areas where automation has helped optimize your business?
A: While Kinross has not done a great deal that can be classified as purely automation, we have been implementing a number of optimization projects involving either data automation or automation of components of processes in both mining and processing. Our focus on improving operational processes over the past number of years is enabling us to look at technology for additional opportunities.
Q: Given the current market scenario for the resources sector, do you think automation and technology is the best way forward to make the operations more profitable?
A: Automation and technology is certainly part of the solution for improving performance and efficiency, however I would argue that it needs to be used judiciously. All too often I have seen technology proposed as a ‘silver bullet’ solution when in fact there are great gains possible from improving foundational technical and business processes first, often with much smaller investments. If there are underlying process problems, technology can in fact exacerbate the situation by adding significant cost and complexity without improving bottom line performance. Having said that, for more mature operations there certainly are opportunities for automation and technology to play an important role in propelling performance to the next level. As an industry, gold mining isn’t the fastest to adopt new technologies for a whole host of reasons, some quite legitimate, but it strikes me that there is much to be learned from other mining companies as well as industries that seem unrelated.
Q: The mining sector has been one of the last ones to wake up to the benefits of technology. From a traditionally orthodox set of operations to drones flying in the mine sites, do you see challenges in terms of employees being able to keep up with the changes?
A: There are definitely a number of structural challenges faced by mining that make it harder for employees to keep up with the changes:
As a general rule cutting edge technology originates in large cities, which is where the top technology talent want to live. Most mines are in remote locations making it very difficult to attract people with the skills required to manage and implement new technologies.
The primary input, the ore body, is usually quite varied throughout changing, making it difficult to automate and standardize certain elements of the process. Manufacturing, in comparison, doesn’t face this same challenge.
The cyclical, boom and bust nature of mining makes it difficult to invest in technology in a methodical manner. Typically speaking , when the price of a commodity is rising, most companies focus on extracting as much from the ground as possible to capture the high margins, which may result in diminished rigor around operational excellence. When prices decline, they often overshoot to the downside, creating substantial financial pain for companies. In this difficult environment, like the one we are experiencing now, technology is often one of the first things to get cut from the budget.
Despite these challenges, there is no question that there are significant opportunities for resource companies to adopt technologies from other industries to improve our performance. It will require the willingness to step out of our comfort zone and try something new.
Q: Would you like to share something about the ongoing projects at Kinross which involves cutting edge technology? What are some of the typical challenges you face when trying to convince the management to embark on such projects?
A: Our focus as a company over the past five years has been building a foundation to strengthen our processes in mine planning, maintenance, geology, operations, etc. As a result, our primary focus has not been on technology, although technology has played a par t in the various improvements. Some examples include: optimization of our mining dispatch systems and implementation of High Precision GPS (HPGPS); implementation of maintenance health monitoring systems; drilling and blasting optimization (e.g. blast hole monitoring); automation of daily production reports, and the list goes on.
Q: What are your expectations from the Technology and Innovation in Mining 2015?
A: I’m interested to hear from other mining companies about which technology has truly helped them improve their bottom line performance, but even more importantly, how they go about selecting and managing technology implementations to ensure that they actually achieve the expected benefits.
Luke Jalsevac, Director, Business Optimization Global Value Assurance, Kinross Gold Corporation was interviewed by the Technology and Innovation in Mining 2015 Production Team at Information Exchange Group
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Thursday, 26 January 23
AUSTRALIA'S CORONADO GLOBAL SEES COAL PRICES RISING ON RESUMING CHINA IMPORTS - REUTERS
Australia’s Coronado Global Resources said on Tuesday resuming metallurgical coal imports to China would likely push sea-borne coal prices hi ...
Monday, 23 January 23
CHINA'S MAJOR COAL-PRODUCING PROVINCE ACCELERATES DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION - XINHUA
At Chindata Group’s big-data industrial park in Lingqiu County of Datong City, hundreds of thousands of servers are running round-the-clock t ...
Monday, 23 January 23
CHINA'S COAL-RICH PROVINCE SEES COAL PRODUCTION INCREASE IN 2022 - XINHUA
North China’s coal-rich province of Shanxi saw its coal production hit 1.31 billion tonnes in 2022, up 8.7 percent year on year, local author ...
Wednesday, 18 January 23
MARKET INSIGHT - INTERMODAL
From Feb 5, another price cap will be introduced to Russian fuels and oil products, adding to the one for crude oil, already in place from Dec. 3. ...
Tuesday, 17 January 23
FRAUD IS THE BIGGEST THREAT TO CARGO LOSSES - TT CLUB
The almost exclusive use of online facilities to process business transactions allows a myriad of fraudulent pursuits to find opportunities within ...
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- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- The University of Queensland
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Australian Coal Association
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- PTC India Limited - India
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Minerals Council of Australia
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Economic Council, Georgia
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Planning Commission, India
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- VISA Power Limited - India
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- White Energy Company Limited
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
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