Modern Mining January 2015

COVER STORY

for BME, Hay says the company has eliminated the supply constraints that sometimes

we’ve already picked up a gold mine contract on the strength of this technology and we’re expecting another in the platinum field to be awarded shortly.” BME’s narrow reef system allows mines to deploy cost-effective emulsion-based blast- ing in highly confined underground spaces. Advantages of the system include the compact size of the equipment, simplicity of operation and high levels of safety. At just 14 kg, the pump can be easily carried to the drilled face for charging; the emulsion and sensitizer itself is contained in two sepa- rate bags – which can be filled on surface or at a central point underground and then sealed to avoid any contamination by dust or dirt. The bags, each weighing 25 kg for easy portability, are connected to the pump just before charging. The fail-safe pump control mechanism allows the volume of explosive per hole to be pre-set, ensuring that blasting performance and emul- sion costs are carefully controlled. Looking at the value that BME can add to its customers’ operations, Hay quotes BME’s Blasting Technology Director, Tony Rorke, who a few months ago went on record as say- ing that “the days of just selling explosives as a commodity are long over.” Rorke added that a commitment to technology was an essential part of BME’s ethos. “Tony had it absolutely right,” says Hay. “The margins in mining are progressively becoming tighter and mines therefore need to be ultra-efficient in every aspect of their opera- tions, including blasting. Many mines get their blasting right but others – particularly those operated by juniors, who don’t normally have any depth of in-house expertise – can get it badly wrong. The point is that poor blasting practice can be very costly, impacting not only on the efficiency of mining operations but also on ‘downstream’ processes such as crushing and milling of the ore. The consultancy service we provide – which addresses both blast plan- ning and execution – can ensure that mines achieve highly efficient blasting. “I think it’s only fair to say that our competi- tors also provide expertise to their customers so our ‘value add’ services are not unique. But I would venture to suggest that nobody does consulting better than BME. The services of Tony and his technical team are in demand not only here in South Africa but throughout Africa. The reputation of the team is such that they’re sometimes called in to assist even when we have no contract in place for the particular mine or quarry involved.” Pointing to other highlights of the past year

caused it problems in past years. “There was a time when we had to source raw mate- r i a l s on occa s i on from competitors,” he states. “The open- i ng o f t he Omn i a Group’s new R1,4 bil- lion nitrate plant in Sasolburg in 2012 has totally reversed this situation. The plant – which is state of the art – has pushed up Omnia’s nitric acid capacity by 140 %. It is a strategic asset that will give Omnia and BME a

competitive edge for years. The tim- ing was fantastic. Anyone trying to put up a similar plant today would probably need twice the capex.”

BME’s reef-pump is light and small and easy to move around narrow stopes.

He adds that BME now has total security of supply with two nitric acid plants and two ammonium nitrate facilities in place, as well as two major emulsion plants in South Africa (quite apart from ten smaller plants in the rest of Africa). “We’ve increased the capacity of our Fochville emulsion plant on the outskirts of Johannesburg and we’re also in the process of commissioning a brand new plant in Delmas in Mpumalanga at the site of our very first emul- sion plant, which was established in the late 1980s,” he says. Finally, it is worth mentioning that BME recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Reflecting on this, Hay says that BME has seen sustained growth over these three decades, par- ticularly over the past five years, during which the company’s employee complement more than doubled with the number of emulsion trucks in the field rocketing from 80 to over 180. “The company has had a fantastic ride and has established itself as one of South Africa’s ‘Big Three’ suppliers and indeed one of the leaders in its field in Africa,” he concludes. “As I’ve said, current conditions mean that there could be a temporary pause in our rapid growth but we are highly positive on prospects for Africa’s minerals industry in the medium to longer term and remain committed to expand- ing our footprint both in South Africa and on the continent generally.” Report by Arthur Tassell, photos courtesy of BME

January 2015  MODERN MINING  25