CEMI’s Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction delivers industry, economic value

Sudbury, ON (October 6, 2016) – CEMI (Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation) and Rio Tinto celebrate the completion of the Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction (RTC-UMC) at CEMI. This $10M investment in Canada’s mining innovation was created to undertake research in support of Rio Tinto’s Mine of the Future™ programme with a focus on underground mining infrastructure and footprint reliability. This state-of-the-art research and knowledge centre played a role in the development and implementation of innovative step-change research and technology development for underground mines, designed to minimize delays and create value through speed and geo-risk mitigation. The results of this collaborative centre have set the stage for large-scale mining operations, now and in the future. CEMI 2016 Annual Report

Since being established in December 2010, the RTC-UMC interacts and collaborates with academics, consultants and representatives from a consortium of Rio Tinto operations worldwide.The Centre has engaged an outstanding, globally networked solution team such as Itasca Consulting Group; Golder Associates; SRK Consulting; Aker Wirth; Atlas Copco; MIRARCO; Laurentian University; Queen’s University; Universities of Arizona and Toronto; University of British Columbia, Delft University, The Federal Technical University of Zurich, and many others.

The Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction (RTC-UMC) has been focused on three core areas essential to the success of large-scale mining operations: 1. Ground Control in Mechanized Excavations; 2. Characterization of Rock Mass Quality and Strength in Deep, Massive, Veined Orebodies; and 3. Development of Innovative, Efficient and Effective Support Systems for Increased Footprint Reliability.

The highlighted achievements fall into six themes: 1) mechanised excavation, 2) rock mass characterisation, 3) support systems, 4) rockburst control, 5) foot-print reliability, and 6) complementary studies. A summary of some of the objectives, achievements, and practical implications (value) can be found in the attached file and within CEMI’s 2016 Annual Report. RTC-UMC has contributed to some exceptional technical advances as well as made significant contributions to skill and HQP development. The safety impact potential of the research products is high, the program had significant innovation content, some aspects have significant immediate and long-term value, and the risk mitigation impact with respect to foot print reliability is high. The three most outstanding geotechnical achievements with high impact potential are related to rock mass strength determination, deformation-based support design and cave loading for pillar design.

Jacques N. Tshisens, Principal Advisor, Geotechnical Engineer, Technical Support, Copper and Diamonds, Rio Tinto remarked, that“Rio Tinto embraces new developments from the Centre, some of which have been incorporated into the geotechnical best practice guidelines. An extraordinary foundation has been laid by the Centre for many further advances. The research team sees much innovation potential and an ongoing need for research and development.”

Douglas Morrison, President & CEO of CEMI reflected on the importance of the RTC-UMC at CEMI stating, “Rio Tinto’s significant investment in RTC-UMC continues to put Canada on the map for innovation in underground mining. I would like to applaud the contribution of the team leaders: Dr. Peter Kaiser as Start-Up Director, Matthew Pierce, Director, Dr. Erik Eberhardt, Associate Director and thank Rio Tinto for their continued support of CEMI in helping to create innovative solutions to some of the most challenging underground mining issues. We look forward to continuing our work with Rio Tinto.”

William Forsyth, Director, Operational & Technical Services, Rio Tinto Copper & Diamonds reflects, “Rio Tinto recognizes that our mines are becoming deeper, with lower grades and increasing limitations on accessing water and power. CEMI’s projects aim to address these challenges and as a result Rio Tinto Operations in North America, based in Salt Lake City, is currently developing the next phase in our relationship with CEMI to work on these issues.”

About CEMI

CEMI – the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation is a national not-for-profit organization that directs and coordinates step-change innovation in the areas of exploration, deep mining, integrated mine engineering, underground mine construction and environment and sustainability for the metal mining industry. CEMI engages in cross-sector collaboration with Canadian and global mining companies, universities & colleges, governments and innovative SMEs within the service and supply sector. With a seasoned team of program directors, CEMI identifies, assesses, and manages industry-focused applied research and business-led programs. www.cemi.ca

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading global mining and metals group that focuses on finding, mining and processing and marketing the Earth’s mineral resources. Our goal is to deliver strong and sustainable shareholder returns from our portfolio of world-class assets and our compelling pipeline of projects. With headquarters in the UK, our Group comprises Rio Tinto plc – a London and New York Stock Exchange listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited – which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. We are strongly represented in Australia and North America, and also have significant businesses in Asia, Europe, Africa and South America.

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Now bring in Mick who is rumoured to be the future head of Rio Tinto who would likely reaaly want to stick it to Ivan and Glencore......possibly scooping up the ring....these are tremors we would all look forward to....

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/comment/article-5093915/BIG-SHOT-WEEK-Sir-Mick-Davis-formally-Big-Mick.html

BIG SHOT OF THE WEEK: Sir Mick Davis used to be a hulking presence around the boardroom - small wonder he was known ‘Big Mick’

By The dastardly Mr Deedes

Published: 16:50 EST, 17 November 2017 | Updated: 16:50 EST, 17 November 2017

+1

Change of direction:  Sir Mick Davis

Time was when Sir Mick Davis was a hulking presence around the boardroom. 

Tipping the scales at 22 stone, the fastened buttons on his Canali suits shrieked for mercy.

Small wonder he was known among the tight-knit mining community as ‘Big Mick’.

Today, Sir Mick is almost unrecognisable from that gusset-busting period. Sure, the straggly grey whiskers and the John-Lennon specs remain, as does that glacial stare, but the Davis girth is now a thing of the past.

I am not breaking any confidences by saying it was trouble with type 2 diabetes which prompted the radical change in appearance. Davis achieved this the old fashioned way – he ate less, gave the bottle a swerve and hopped on a bicycle.

He may be diminished physically, but friends say the steely South African has lost none of his energy, nor verve for dealmaking which has defined a career in which he’s raised more than £25bn from global capital markets and has completed more than £90bn of corporate transactions.

Reports claim this week he is being stalked as the next chairman of mining giant Rio Tinto, a move that would mark a dramatic return to the natural resources industry’s front line.

It also sets up a renewed showdown with his compatriot Ivan Glasenberg, the helium-voiced boss of Glencore with whom he’s been on non-speakers for nearly five years.

The fall-out came during Glencore’s mega–merger with Sir Mick’s mining firm Xstrata back in 2013.

What began as a £50bn merger of equals, where Davis would have become Glasenberg’s boss, turned into a full-blown takeover at the 11th hour when Glencore made an improved offer for shares in return for new conditions.

 

 

The details are complicated, but the end result saw Davis out on his ear and Glasenberg in supreme charge of the new company.

The drama had added spice as Davis and Glasenberg were old acquaintances. Their rivalry goes back to their school days in South Africa, where Davis was raised in Port Elizabeth.

One of three brothers, he enjoyed a comfortable Jewish upbringing. He studied accountancy at Rhodes University for no other reason, he says, than it seemed a good way to make money, before landing a job with accountants Peat Marwick.

After a stint as finance director of Eskom, South Africa’s national power company, he became chief financial officer of South African conglomerate Gencor in 1997. He helped list the firm in London, renamed Billiton, and played a key role in merging it with Australia’s BHP in 2001, creating the world’s largest mining company.

In 2001, restless for a top job, he went off to be boss of Xstrata. Back then it was just a small, debt-laden firm, but thanks to Davis’s brilliance for mergers and acquisitions, within a decade it had swelled into a £40bn company. Given his friendship with Glasenberg, and Glencore’s sizeable stake in Xstrata, it seemed only natural the firms would eventually merge, though, as we now know, it didn’t pan out the way Davis originally hoped.

Not that Sir Mick left empty-handed. He walked away with nearly £75m in cash and share options. He and wife Barbara decided to remain with their three children in London, where they’re fixtures on the charity circuit. Free time is spent at the cricket (he’s a qualified umpire) and the opera.

Workwise, Davis set up mining fund X2 Resources. He’s very worried about a Jeremy Corbyn government, so has also thrown his weight behind the Conservatives, becoming the party’s treasurer and, lately, chief executive.

Doubtless Davis would toss that all in for a tilt at the Rio Tinto job. If it comes off, you can be sure he’s going to go looking for his old friend Glasenberg, with a view to taking over Glencore.

Stocky Ivan will certainly be primed for a fight. The mining industry may need to brace itself for some heavy tremors.

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Thoughts Babjak1?  Perhaps a 'Mick' rumour with some teeth?  I would certainly love to see a battle between Mick and Ivan for the ring.

GLTA

Ringer