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ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF AFGHANISTAN
MINISTRY OF MINES & PETROLEUM
SDNRPAYNAK COPPER MINE
COMPLIANCE MONITORING PROJECT
SOUTH AFRICAN MINING TOUR APRIL – MAY 2014
MINISTRY OF MINES & PETROLEUM (MOMP)&
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (NEPA)
TOUR ARRANGED BY :
• to provide exposure to world-class mining operations and improved understanding of mining activities, techniques, equipment and practice;
• to complement technical training given during the course of the GAF project;
• to create improved understanding of the health, safety and environmental and social risks and impacts of mining and how they are managed;
Objectives of the Tour
• to create increased awareness of the broad issues involved in the development of large-scale mines, required level of investment and the time frame for construction & commissioning;
• to provide exposure to how governments facilitate & regulate major mining projects; & what are reasonable mutual expectations of governments & mining investors;
• to create enhanced awareness of social obligations of mining companies & how companies meet these responsibilities, including training, development & employment of local skills
Objectives of the Tour (continued)
The Group was privileged to be accompanied for part of the tour by His Excellency, the Minister of Mines & Petroleum, Mr. M. Akbar Barakzai
Summary of Tour Group Composition
Tour Organisation
The tour was funded by a donation from the World Bank
The tour was organised by under the SDNRP Aynak Compliance Monitoring Project
The tour was by kind invitation of SIBANYE GOLD
The organisers sincerely thank the host mines & companies and the South African Department of Mineral Resources and the Department of Environmental Affairs for their assistance & kind hospitality
Summary of Organisations Visited
The slides which follow highlight items of interest and learning points at each of the organisations visited
Armed security underground: illegal gold mining is a major concern in South Africa
• Technical • Health & Safety• Economic
• Social
Sibanye Gold: Kloof Operations
• Deep level gold mining on western Witwatersrand
• Challenges: heat, rock pressure (seismicity, strata control), transport of men, materials & rock to & from surface, sinking & equipping ultra-deep shafts
Hands-on exposure: operating a rockdrill more than 3km underground
Sibanye Gold (continued)
• Reduction plant, processing ore, gold pour
• Tailings disposal
Sibanye Gold (continued)
• Mining training
• Corporate social responsibility
• Engineering training
Mines Rescue Centre (MRC)
• MRC provides co-ordination & training for nation-wide rescue capacity in all situations & conditions
• All brigadesmen are volunteers working part-time in mine rescue
Mines Rescue Centre (continued)
• Teams are equipped & trained to work in toxic atmospheres & to fight underground fires
• Equipment to drill & effect rescue of trapped persons through deep boreholes
Bushveld Igneous Complex (BIC)
• The group travelled extensively through the BIC & saw platinum & chromite mines, concentrators & smelters
• No visit to a platinum mine was possible due to continuing industrial action in that sector
Thabazimbi Iron Ore Mine
• Iron ore: large scale open-pit mining, relevant to Aynak & Hajigak
• Major investment, large equipment
Thabazimbi (continued )
• Superior health & safety and corporate social responsibility programmes
• Technical services: geology, planning, computerised mine modelling
• The party enjoyed an overview of internationally recognised mineral resource reporting systems
Palabora Copper Mine
• 30kt/day mined & treated, identical to Aynak planned scale of operations
• Underground block cave, as planned for Aynak Phase 2 U/G
• Sophisticated, modern, highly mechanised
Palabora Copper Mine (continued)
• Processing: concentrator, smelter, refinery, rod plant
• Concentrator: ore at 0.6% Cu is treated by crushing, milling & flotation
Concentrates: 25% Cu Flotation
Autogenous mill
Palabora Copper Mine (continued)
• Smelter produces COPPER MATTE @ 45% Cu, BLISTER COPPER at 98.5% Cu and finally ANODE COPPER @ 99.5% Cu
• Refinery: electro-refining to produce CATHODE COPPER @ 99.98% Cu
Palabora Copper Mine (continued)
• The rod plant rolls cathode Cu into rods suitable for drawing out into wire for local sale & eventual “recycling”
Barberton Gold Mines: Fairview Mine
• Medium-scale underground mines; complex orebodies, high grade
Travelling underground is fun: 1,600m of 37O inclines
• Completely different geology & methods from the Witwatersrand
• Orebodies are of hydrothermal (igneous) origin
Fairview Mine (continued)
Digital mine model supplied by Barberton Gold Mines
• Complex orebodies exploited by flexible & innovative mining methods
• Systematic, professional management of health & safety, planning & production
Fairview Mine (continued)
• Mining method : mechanised cut & fill
• The party saw the practical application of diverse, ingenious mining methods
Fairview Mine (continued)
These pictures kindly supplied by mine management
Fairview Mine (continued)
• Modern, cutting edge processing technology
• Crushing, milling & flotation
• Bioleaching : proprietary technology developed at the mine
SASOL Syferfontein Colliery
Plan supplied by mine management
• Very large scale, highly mechanised, modern U/G mine
• Extremely advanced, highly effective health & safety management systems
• One of five mines supplying SASOL’s Secunda plant
Riversdale
Tweedraai
Weltevreden
SASOL Syferfontein Colliery (continued)
Colliery U/G plan supplied by the mine
• Production 10 million tonnes per annum
• Regular seam, 4.9m wide, 100 – 110m below surface
• Systematic roofbolt support
• 35% seam extraction
SASOL Syferfontein Colliery (continued)
Photographs were not possible due to fiery mine controls: this picture from unknown Internet source
• The party watched a machine like this cut & load 20t in 45 seconds
• Safety technology: machines remote operated, equipped with automatic cut-off if persons approach too close
Department of Mineral Resources: DMR
• The DMR reports that the injury frequency rate throughout the mining industry has improved dramatically through effective enforcement of regulations
• Without exception, the mines all operate intensive health & safety management systems & initiatives
Department of Mineral Resources (continued)
Department of Environmental Affairs: DEA
• The DEA is responsible for enforcing compliance with environmental legislation, nation-wide
• It protects the environment & natural resources: everything from this . . .
. . . to this . . .
IRCA GLOBAL “When you’re serious about managing risk”
• A leading risk management solutions provider, in the areas of safety, health, environment & quality
• Management information & control systems; training
Pictures supplied by IRCA Global
TOUR LOGISTICS
Planning, securing South African visas & booking flights, accommodation & technical visits took many weeks of effort by personnel in Kabul, Munich & South Africa
REST & RECREATION
The party visited a number of wildlife conservancies and other tourist attractions of ecological & cultural interest
Places of interest included the famous Kruger National Park