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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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Tuesday, 15 September 15
Q2'16 RICHARDS BAY COAL SWAPS DIP TO $ 51.10 PER TON
COALspot.com: API4 FOB Richards Bay Coal swap for delivery 4Q' 2015 declined week over week and month over month.
The 4Q swap was down US$ ...
Tuesday, 15 September 15
API 5 FOB NEWCASTLE COAL SWAP FOR 4Q' 2015 DELIVERY CLOSED AT $42.71 PER TON ON 11 SEPT, SGX DATA SHOWS
COALspot.com: API 5 FOB Newcastle Coal swap for 4Q’ 2015 delivery declined $0.94 per MT (-2.15%) month over month to US$ 42.71 per mt. The sw ...
Monday, 14 September 15
Q1'16 CFR SOUTH CHINA COAL SWAP DECLINED $1.80 PMT M-M
COALspot.com: API 8 CFR South China Coal swap for 4Q’ 2015 delivery declined just US$ 1.62 (3.21 %) per MT month over month.
A commodity ...
Monday, 14 September 15
MOODY'S LOWERS COMMODITY PRICE ASSUMPTIONS ON MACRO, INDUSTRY FACTORS
COALspot.com: Moody's Investors Service has lowered its base metal price assumptions for 2015-17 as slowing growth in China, lower oil prices, ...
Sunday, 13 September 15
FREIGHT RATES ARE EXPECTED TO BE SOFT NEXT WEEK
COALspot.com: The BDI decreased further by 6.51 per cent or 57 points since last Friday and closed at 818 on 11 September 2015 while the cape index ...
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- Jindal Steel & Power Ltd - India
- Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, - India
- Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- White Energy Company Limited
- Medco Energi Mining Internasional
- Petron Corporation, Philippines
- Global Green Power PLC Corporation, Philippines
- Bulk Trading Sa - Switzerland
- Indogreen Group - Indonesia
- Siam City Cement PLC, Thailand
- Lanco Infratech Ltd - India
- Central Java Power - Indonesia
- Kohat Cement Company Ltd. - Pakistan
- Georgia Ports Authority, United States
- Siam City Cement - Thailand
- Australian Commodity Traders Exchange
- Romanian Commodities Exchange
- Tata Chemicals Ltd - India
- Vizag Seaport Private Limited - India
- Parliament of New Zealand
- Directorate Of Revenue Intelligence - India
- Videocon Industries ltd - India
- Ambuja Cements Ltd - India
- Dong Bac Coal Mineral Investment Coporation - Vietnam
- Borneo Indobara - Indonesia
- Savvy Resources Ltd - HongKong
- Mercuria Energy - Indonesia
- Meenaskhi Energy Private Limited - India
- Agrawal Coal Company - India
- Baramulti Group, Indonesia
- Antam Resourcindo - Indonesia
- Miang Besar Coal Terminal - Indonesia
- Bukit Asam (Persero) Tbk - Indonesia
- GMR Energy Limited - India
- Iligan Light & Power Inc, Philippines
- Straits Asia Resources Limited - Singapore
- Intertek Mineral Services - Indonesia
- Cement Manufacturers Association - India
- Wilmar Investment Holdings
- Thai Mozambique Logistica
- Karbindo Abesyapradhi - Indoneisa
- Trasteel International SA, Italy
- South Luzon Thermal Energy Corporation
- Kumho Petrochemical, South Korea
- Renaissance Capital - South Africa
- Kobexindo Tractors - Indoneisa
- Leighton Contractors Pty Ltd - Australia
- Mercator Lines Limited - India
- ASAPP Information Group - India
- Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd
- The University of Queensland
- Latin American Coal - Colombia
- Chettinad Cement Corporation Ltd - India
- Samtan Co., Ltd - South Korea
- SMC Global Power, Philippines
- Jaiprakash Power Ventures ltd
- Thiess Contractors Indonesia
- Meralco Power Generation, Philippines
- McConnell Dowell - Australia
- Price Waterhouse Coopers - Russia
- Vedanta Resources Plc - India
- Sarangani Energy Corporation, Philippines
- ICICI Bank Limited - India
- Therma Luzon, Inc, Philippines
- Deloitte Consulting - India
- Truba Alam Manunggal Engineering.Tbk - Indonesia
- Metalloyd Limited - United Kingdom
- London Commodity Brokers - England
- Holcim Trading Pte Ltd - Singapore
- Bhushan Steel Limited - India
- Alfred C Toepfer International GmbH - Germany
- Manunggal Multi Energi - Indonesia
- Global Business Power Corporation, Philippines
- San Jose City I Power Corp, Philippines
- Formosa Plastics Group - Taiwan
- Kartika Selabumi Mining - Indonesia
- Marubeni Corporation - India
- Simpson Spence & Young - Indonesia
- Tamil Nadu electricity Board
- Posco Energy - South Korea
- New Zealand Coal & Carbon
- Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd. - India
- Bayan Resources Tbk. - Indonesia
- Gujarat Mineral Development Corp Ltd - India
- Oldendorff Carriers - Singapore
- Gujarat Sidhee Cement - India
- Kaltim Prima Coal - Indonesia
- MS Steel International - UAE
- Madhucon Powers Ltd - India
- Directorate General of MIneral and Coal - Indonesia
- Kapuas Tunggal Persada - Indonesia
- The Treasury - Australian Government
- AsiaOL BioFuels Corp., Philippines
- Riau Bara Harum - Indonesia
- PetroVietnam Power Coal Import and Supply Company
- India Bulls Power Limited - India
- Uttam Galva Steels Limited - India
- Economic Council, Georgia
- Offshore Bulk Terminal Pte Ltd, Singapore
- The State Trading Corporation of India Ltd
- Xindia Steels Limited - India
- Bharathi Cement Corporation - India
- Pipit Mutiara Jaya. PT, Indonesia
- Binh Thuan Hamico - Vietnam
- Makarim & Taira - Indonesia
- Bukit Baiduri Energy - Indonesia
- Asia Pacific Energy Resources Ventures Inc, Philippines
- Rio Tinto Coal - Australia
- Orica Mining Services - Indonesia
- CIMB Investment Bank - Malaysia
- Planning Commission, India
- Orica Australia Pty. Ltd.
- International Coal Ventures Pvt Ltd - India
- Interocean Group of Companies - India
- Altura Mining Limited, Indonesia
- SN Aboitiz Power Inc, Philippines
- Kideco Jaya Agung - Indonesia
- Indonesian Coal Mining Association
- Anglo American - United Kingdom
- Mjunction Services Limited - India
- Bangladesh Power Developement Board
- Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand
- Dalmia Cement Bharat India
- Bahari Cakrawala Sebuku - Indonesia
- IEA Clean Coal Centre - UK
- Heidelberg Cement - Germany
- Sojitz Corporation - Japan
- Sindya Power Generating Company Private Ltd
- Attock Cement Pakistan Limited
- CNBM International Corporation - China
- Bhatia International Limited - India
- LBH Netherlands Bv - Netherlands
- Ceylon Electricity Board - Sri Lanka
- Ministry of Transport, Egypt
- Dr Ramakrishna Prasad Power Pvt Ltd - India
- IHS Mccloskey Coal Group - USA
- Commonwealth Bank - Australia
- Bhoruka Overseas - Indonesia
- Ministry of Mines - Canada
- Toyota Tsusho Corporation, Japan
- Asmin Koalindo Tuhup - Indonesia
- Global Coal Blending Company Limited - Australia
- Electricity Authority, New Zealand
- Ind-Barath Power Infra Limited - India
- Central Electricity Authority - India
- Banpu Public Company Limited - Thailand
- VISA Power Limited - India
- Energy Development Corp, Philippines
- Carbofer General Trading SA - India
- Barasentosa Lestari - Indonesia
- Essar Steel Hazira Ltd - India
- Aboitiz Power Corporation - Philippines
- TeaM Sual Corporation - Philippines
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd., India
- Indika Energy - Indonesia
- Petrochimia International Co. Ltd.- Taiwan
- Globalindo Alam Lestari - Indonesia
- Sinarmas Energy and Mining - Indonesia
- Wood Mackenzie - Singapore
- Sical Logistics Limited - India
- Standard Chartered Bank - UAE
- SMG Consultants - Indonesia
- Indian Oil Corporation Limited
- Aditya Birla Group - India
- Semirara Mining and Power Corporation, Philippines
- Indo Tambangraya Megah - Indonesia
- Kepco SPC Power Corporation, Philippines
- Indian Energy Exchange, India
- Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission - India
- European Bulk Services B.V. - Netherlands
- GN Power Mariveles Coal Plant, Philippines
- Edison Trading Spa - Italy
- Parry Sugars Refinery, India
- Minerals Council of Australia
- PowerSource Philippines DevCo
- Port Waratah Coal Services - Australia
- Bukit Makmur.PT - Indonesia
- Independent Power Producers Association of India
- Chamber of Mines of South Africa
- Malabar Cements Ltd - India
- Cigading International Bulk Terminal - Indonesia
- Salva Resources Pvt Ltd - India
- Star Paper Mills Limited - India
- Grasim Industreis Ltd - India
- GAC Shipping (India) Pvt Ltd
- PTC India Limited - India
- Africa Commodities Group - South Africa
- Maheswari Brothers Coal Limited - India
- Kalimantan Lumbung Energi - Indonesia
- Sree Jayajothi Cements Limited - India
- Karaikal Port Pvt Ltd - India
- Billiton Holdings Pty Ltd - Australia
- Coal and Oil Company - UAE
- Merrill Lynch Commodities Europe
- Australian Coal Association
- Semirara Mining Corp, Philippines
- Vijayanagar Sugar Pvt Ltd - India
- Jorong Barutama Greston.PT - Indonesia
- Mintek Dendrill Indonesia
- Energy Link Ltd, New Zealand
- OPG Power Generation Pvt Ltd - India
- Coalindo Energy - Indonesia
- Eastern Energy - Thailand
- Singapore Mercantile Exchange
- Coastal Gujarat Power Limited - India
- Timah Investasi Mineral - Indoneisa
- Larsen & Toubro Limited - India
- Filglen & Citicon Mining (HK) Ltd - Hong Kong
- GVK Power & Infra Limited - India
- TNB Fuel Sdn Bhd - Malaysia
- Sakthi Sugars Limited - India
- Ministry of Finance - Indonesia
- Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited - India
- Pendopo Energi Batubara - Indonesia
- Eastern Coal Council - USA
- PNOC Exploration Corporation - Philippines
- Goldman Sachs - Singapore
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