Modern Mining September 2020

senior BME management, contact with custom- ers has been maintained by regular cellular and internet communication with various tools such as WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams and Skype. Klaasen expects that business would proceed more or less as usual, provided there was no sudden increase in infections – either in the countries where BME is operating or in coun- tries from which it sources raw materials. “It is important that borders remain open for cargo, as closures could impact the supply of stock to sites or to the regions where customers operate,” he says. “The three-month stock avail- ability that we ensure for customers allows them to see through any temporary disruptions.” 

Quick take  The West African mining sector is gener- ally producing well even under COVID-19 conditions. BME notes that the pandemic has had minimal effect on its mining clients’ production from a blasting perspective  Some mines were considering reducing production in the event of a shortage of raw materials, but BME has managed to keep clients blasting during this time with sufficient stocks, continued deliveries and dedicated personnel on sites  A number of BME technical personnel have remained on mine sites around the region since the start of the lockdowns in the dif- ferent countries  In addition to supplying emulsion explo- sives and electronic detonation systems, BME has also assisted customers in West Africa with blast design using its BLASTMAP software “The leveraging of technological innovation to keep mine sites safe and efficient becomes an even more vital imperative for technology provid- ers,” says Keenan. With COVID-19 restricting access to mines by BME has managed to keep clients blasting during this time with sufficient stocks, continued deliveries and dedicated personnel on sites. assistance has made a valuable contribution to keeping mine operations up and running.” Customers are able to send their blast-related data to the BME office in Bamako, Mali, where its technical managers assist mines with the planning of their blasts. “BLASTMAP allows the blast designs to be conducted anywhere in the world,” he says. “It just requires the relevant information from the customer.” BME MD Joe Keenan notes that the future will see considerable changes in how suppliers sup- port their mining customers.

September 2020  MODERN MINING  35