The winners in the 2020 Queensland Mining Awards have been announced with Sarina small business Gas Field Services named the Queensland Mining Contractor of the Year.
The Queensland Mining Awards were co-hosted by the Bowen Basin Mining Club and the Queensland Resources Council, recognising contractors, suppliers and producers across nine peer-judged categories.
The 29 finalist entries represented the true diversity of the industry, representing the full spectrum of major contractors and producers, right down to one-man businesses. Creative solutions to industry problems showcased skills in mathematics, engineering, environmental, human resources, procurement and manufacturing.
The winners and finalists are:
Greyhound Innovation (METS) Award
Winner: Universal Field Robots & IMDEX – Innovation through Collaboration
Universal Field Robots and IMDEX conquered the challenge of logging blast holes, while removing operators from harm’s way. The IMDEX BLASTDOG™ solution moved from concept to prototype in just four months, providing geological data and enhancing productivity.
Finalists
Emesent – Hovermap: Mapping the inaccessible
Hovermap uses LiDAR to accurately, quickly and safely map any space in real time, with handheld or drone delivery. Using Hovermap, mines have significantly increased safety, with overall reduced costs and production delays.
Polymathian – Transforming Mining Value Chains with Industrial Mathematics
Polymathian’s ‘Bolt’ product solves problems across the value chain, considering all components and system impacts through industrial mathematics. Using Bolt, the mine improved margins by ten percent, and decreased planning effort by at least ten times.
Redeye Apps – Optimising O&M Inspections – The Redeye Digital Twin
Redeye created a virtual model to mirror two draglines, simplifying complex dragline maintenance data management. The digital twin allows planners and onsite engineers to see component history and capture live maintenance data.
Sedgman – SMART Condition Monitoring
The SMART plant provides solutions that optimise Sedgman’s minerals processing operations. Using affordable new sensor technology and cloud-based platforms, Sedgman integrated several intelligent systems to produce live data streams.
JCB CEA Innovation (Miner) Award
Winner: Anglo American (Dawson Mine) – World’s first remote multi-pass drill
The Anglo American (Dawson) team produced the first known rotary blasthole drill rig to complete multi-pass operations remotely. This removes operators from the field, with strong safety outcomes.
Finalists
Anglo American – World’s first Group 1 Intrinsically Safe underground tablet
Anglo American successfully developed and launched the only Group 1 electronic tablet device certified for unrestricted use in underground mining globally. This allows for real-time communication and record-keeping underground.
Sonic Healthplus Safety Award
Winner: Gas Field Services – Hands Free Drilling – The Way of The Future
Gas Field Services introduced the LF-160 Drill Rig and Freedom Loader. This solution drastically reduces manual handling and increases safety-critical functions with hands-free drilling.
Finalists
Mastermyne – Brain Science
Mastermyne created the Brain Science Project to engage staff in understanding how behaviour and emotion impacts safety, productivity and culture. There has been a notable reduction in safety incidents, as well as increased training benefits.
Waterline Projects – 3D Printing for Familiarisation
Waterline Projects created a safety training model with the help of 3D printing. This allows employee familiarisation with hazards while reducing safety risks on site.
Glencore Productivity Award
Winner: Polymathian – Maximising NPV with Industrial Mathematics
Polymathian used their ORB mathematical solution to optimise mine planning for a client, condensing the planning process from weeks to just 12 hours. The client saw a 35% increase to NPV, with superior productivity outcomes.
Finalists
Gas Field Services – 4C Wireline – The New Drilling Technique
Gas Field Services implemented the 4C Wireline Coring system to complement their LF-160 handsfree drilling rig. This decreased rod hole trips by 70%, increasing production by 15 holes a year and saving just under 3 shifts.
Vayeron – Intrinsically Safe Wireless Longwall Inclinometer
Vayeron produced a wireless, plug and play sensor to replace expensive, permanently wired longwall inclinometers. The Vayeron sensor costs around $300 per device, rather than $1700.
SMW Group Staff / Community Engagement Award
Winner: New Oakleigh Coal – Jeebropilly Mine Closure – ‘Finishing Well’ program
The Finishing Well program aimed to retain employees with a positive safety and productivity culture in the months leading up to the Jeebropilly mine’s closure. Staff retention through the 2-year program was 98.9%.
Finalists
Anglo American – Anglo American LIVE online concert series
Anglo American created a series of online streamed private concerts for employees, contractors, stakeholders, traditional owner groups and their families. This helped decrease staff isolation throughout COVID-19 restrictions.
Hastings Deering – Together As One
Hastings Deering pioneered the ‘Together as One’ program, fostering cultural change throughout their 3,500 strong workforce. The program has resulted in more than 3000 employee experiences and over 15,000 website impressions.
SMW Group EEO Award
Winner: Byerwen Coal, Jangga Operations & Macmahon – Yila Yina Mundu (‘Turn Around from Here’) Program
This collaborative effort built on the Thida Bullaroo (Step By Step) program, expanding QCoal’s Indigenous participation strategy. 24 new-to-industry roles were created, with full-time employment offered following completion of training.
Finalists
Anglo American – Balancing the Team Recruitment and Training Program / Anglo American’s female-only underground trainee intake
Anglo American’s Moranbah North mine took a different approach to recruitment and training to drive inclusion and diversity. Eight entry-level trainee underground miner roles were created, with no experience necessary. Trainees will complete a Cert II in underground coal mining and gain hands-on experience
QME Best Product Launch Award
Winner: Bis – Razor: the proprietary underground grader increasing safety and performance
BIS realised that innovation was sorely needed to fix inefficient, underpowered machinery that lacked reliability. Razor – developed, designed and manufactured in Australia – delivers over 30% increased tractive effort, improved braking and most importantly, improved safety.
Finalists
Ava Risk Group & Mining3 – Aura IQ – Conveyor Health Monitoring
Mining3 and Ava Risk Group collaborated to deliver a game-changing predictive conveyor monitoring system. Aura IQ is intrinsically safe and virtually maintenance-free, meaning the solution can be used underground as well as on the surface.
Skopit – Structural Steel Clamping System
The Skopit system instantly eliminates hot welding work to structural steel in and around coal and mineral processing facilities. The clamp maintains steelwork integrity, is reusable and takes just minutes to install on any size beam or colum
SMW Group – The Ultralift – collaborative commercialisation
SMW Group solved a major logistical and safety problem by creating the Ultralift, a remotely operated mobile straddle carrier. Eliminating complex slewing crane lifts saves around $15,000 every time the Ultralift is used.
McLanahan Environment Award
Winner: KCB Australia – Isaac River Upstream Drop Structure
The Isaac River Diversion’s existing drop structure failed repeatedly under flood conditions. KCB Australia’s new design’s modelling predicts enhanced energy dissipation, improved flow stability and prevention of scour upstream.
Finalists
Mining3 – Alternative Explosives
Mining3 are testing alternative explosive formulations, eliminating the nitrogen component and replacing it with hydrogen peroxide. This has the potential for a zero harmful fume scenario, also lowering risks to the environment, safety and productivity.
New Century Resources – Economic Rehabilitation – a new approach to mined land rehabilitation in Queensland
Economic Rehabilitation involves recovering about 77 million tonnes of mineralised waste from tailings storage for reprocessing and sale, funding the future rehabilitation of the rest of the Century mine. Since commencing, 10% of the tailings have been reprocessed, and long-term monitoring data is shaping up to be world-class.
METS Ignited Collaboration Award
Winner: Ava Risk Group | Mining3 – Innovation through Collaboration
Mining3 and Ava Risk Group collaborated to deliver a game-changing predictive conveyor monitoring system. Within 10 months, the team produced the Aura IQ, an innovative, low cost and flexible maintenance solution that uses fibre optics, signal processing algorithms and data analytics.
Finalists
Mitchell Services | Anglo American – Underground Coal Gas Drainage Drill Rig
Mitchell Services’ most recent innovation in drilling solutions is the CX1500 CoalXplorer underground coal UIS drill rig. The rig delivers enhanced data capture of the geological environment. In trials on Anglo American sites, this showed potential to help improve safety and productivity of gas drainage through enhanced geological data capture.
Unearthed Solutions | BHP – BHP ‘Fast Track’ Challenge
In 2019, BHP partnered with Unearthed to run a global online crowd sourcing competition to improve their site access experience. 27 companies presented solutions, and 7 shortlisted entries worked directly with BHP’s team for evaluation. ComplyFlow provided the winning solution.
Universal Field Robots | IMDEX – UFR and IMDEX collaborate to improve drill and blast safety, productivity and reduce risk.
Universal Field Robots and IMDEX conquered the challenge of logging blast holes, while removing operators from harm’s way. The IMDEX BLASTDOG™ solution moved from concept to prototype in just four months, providing geological data and enhancing productivity.
Bowen Basin Mining Club Queensland Mining Contractor of the Year
Winner – Gas Field Services