GBI delivers world first asset optimisation conference

Brainchild of an Australian-based company, GBI, the event will showcase mining intelligence, provide up-to-date knowledge on what is achievable and explain what suppliers and mines around the world are doing to add real value to their operations.
Conference chairman Graham Lumley said the November conference aimed to equip attendees with the tools they need to increase their mine’s profitability.
“The conference is not about processes; it is focused on actual results which have been achieved and how they have been achieved,” said GBI’s Lumley.
“The conference will demonstrate some of the key areas for improvement but also how some of the less glamorous aspects of running a mine efficiently, for example QAQC, can also add value.
“The message we are trying to get across is that every decision which is made across the mine should have a focus on adding value.”
The knowledge to be shared includes; the latest developments in the use of data from monitors (production, maintenance and cost data) to make real and sustained improvements; how major mining companies make money from multi-billion dollar investments and how they control risk; what some of the suppliers of buckets and truck trays have done to increase tonnes moved; latest developments in getting the most from people (operators, supervisors and managers); new digging techniques; half day visits to and presentations from Bucyrus, P&H and Cat.
The conference’s major sponsor Duratray International will showcase its innovative truck tray design which carries more payload without increasing chassis load.
“Many people in Australia are interested in mining optimisation but only a few are doing it well. There are a small number of best practice operations in Australia. It basically comes down to mine culture and people,” said Lumley.
He believes most mines are drastically underperforming compared to what the select group of “best practice” operations are doing around the world.
As an example, the M8050 dragline peak performance achieved in North America is 21 Million BCM’s. In Australia peak performance is 17 Million BCM’s.
The difference between average and best practice dragline is 30 per cent; for hydraulic backhoes and shovels it is 42 per cent; and for trucks it is 52 per cent etc.
“It’s really interesting that the Australian mines are not excelling as many of the really smart developments in the mining industry are coming out of Australia,” said Lumley.
“This is why most of the mining service companies push hard outside Australia, sales to South America, Asia and Africa are often easier than in Australia where there is some resistance to change.”

For more information on the 2010 Surface Mining Asset Optimisation Conference, 1-5 November 2010, visit: www.gbi.net.au (and follow the conference link).