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NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 09

> In this issue Vulcan in mining educationSurvey data undergroundBeyond Vulcan 8I-Site Studio 3.3 releasedUnderground grade controlCustomer award successRegional users conferenceProximity alert system

A COMPLETEPLATFORMFOR MININGEDUCATIONThe Technological EducationalInstitute of Western Macedonia,Greece teaches students the useof computers and informationtechnology in mine planning,geotechnical engineering andenvironmental studies.

The Department of Geotechnology andEnvironmental Engineering (formerlythe Department of Mining Technology)reformed its undergraduate studiesprogram in 1999. Modules such asGeostatistics, Remote Sensing andGIS, and Computer Applications in

Mining have been added to the mainundergraduate course of study.

These modules include theoreticalstudies as well as hands-on computerwork in the departments Laboratory ofMining Information Technology and GIS

Applications. The laboratory is equippedwith 12 dual-core workstations and ahigh resolution projection system.

The Maptek Vulcan 3D modelling andmine planning software has been the coresoftware package of the laboratory. It isalso the platform for study and researchin the use of computers in the mineralsindustry, for the departments studentsand members of the academic staff.

Vulcan is also used in the mining industry,which means that students have a chanceto use the same software as professionalsin the eld. Lecturers and professorshave experienced the benets of using

Vulcan in the classroom ever since Version3.4 and up to the current Version 8.0.

Over 200 pages of course material havebeen written specically for Vulcan, fordistribution to third-year students.

A set of exercises has been developedaround a Vulcan demonstration dataset,which includes:

Vulcan project setup and introduction>

Data import>

Triangulation modelling>

Drillhole databases>

Geological modelling>

Block modelling>

Grade estimation>

Open pit optimisation>

Open pit design>

Reserves calculation>

Introductory underground design>

Basic mine access road design>

The rst 10 exercises are in a sequence- the les and results produced by oneexercise are used as input to the next.

VULCAN AND ITS APPLICATION TO MINING AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS HAS BEEN THESUBJECT OF FINAL YEAR THESES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GAIN ABETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE SOFTWARE WORKS AND BE MORE PROFICIENT IN ITS USE.

Ioannis Kapageridis, Assistant Professor in Mining Information Technology


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The research proposal is titled Applicationof a Multi-Agent System to MineScheduling and Simulation of Coal Surface

Mines and is based on the integrationof Vulcan, Chronos and an agent-basedsimulation environment under developmentin the lab. The research program aims toprovide the missing link between short-term planning and scheduling, and eetmanagement and production control.

Thanks to Ioannis Kapageridis Assistant Professor in Mining Information Technology

VULCANS INTEGRATEDENVIRONMENT AND EASY

TO LEARN GRAPHICAL USERINTERFACE MAKE IT THE IDEALSOFTWARE FOR TRAININGUNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS.

Ioannis Kapageridis

> CONTINUED

The total exposure of students to theuse of Vulcan is 4 hours per week, for12 weeks each semester. Vulcan and itsapplication to mining and environmentalproblems has also been the subjectof a number of nal year theses forundergraduate students who want to gaina better understanding of how the softwareworks and be more procient in its use.

The Laboratory of Mining Information Technology and GIS Applications has alsobeen involved in a campaign to promote

Vulcan to mining companies in Greece.

The idea is to prove the benets of usingadvanced mine planning packages bydeveloping and publishing several Vulcanapplication case studies. These use real

BENEFITS OF VULCANStudents nd Vulcan intuitive to use - laboratory training prepares them for the real world

data from companies such as GeohellasSA and LAVA SA in the industrial mineralssector, LARCO GMMSA (nickel) and the

Public Power Corporation SA (lignite).

The main aim is to increase theemployment options of the departmentsgraduates. The results from thesecase studies have been published ininternational mining conferences inGreece and abroad. These are availablefor download at http://airlab.teikoz.gr/ geope/GEOPE_EN/labs/mineitlab.htm

The Laboratory of Mining Information Technology and GIS Applications hasalso published several research papersbased on Vulcan and its schedulingmodule, Chronos. A research proposalhas been recently led under the NationalStrategic Reference Framework (ESPA)2007-2013, specically the ARCHIMEDESIII Support of Research Teams in

Technological Educational Institutes.

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01 Scanned underground stope02 I-Site surveyed drive and stope03 Modelled stope prole

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THE I-SITE SCANNER AND STUDIO PROCESSING SOFTWARE ARE EASY TO USE. RECEIVING TRAINING ON SITE ALLOWED OUR SURVEYORS TO PICK UP TIPS ON HOW BEST TO USE THE TECHNOLOGY TO ATTAIN THE DESIRED RESULTS AND ULTIMATELY IMPROVE OUR WORKFLOW.Chris Moffatt, Chief Surveyor

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SURVEY DATA UNDERGROUND

The Maptek I-Site 4400CRand I-Site Studio software are

leading the drive to improveresults in underground survey.

Randgold Resources, an African focusedmining and exploration company,purchased a Maptek I-Site 4400CRlaser scanner in December 2008for underground stope and open pitmodelling, and monthly reconciliation ofunderground workings and ore stockpilesat the Loulo mine in Mali.

Randgold has 80% and the governmentof Mali a 20% interest in Loulo.

Current mining is from 2 open pits, Yaleaand Gara; underground mining hascommenced at Yalea while construction

of the second underground mine at Garahas begun.

Maptek delivered advanced training inI-Site Studio software to 2 surveyors onsite in September 2009, observing rst-hand the improvements to mine surveytasks brought by laser scanning.

Where safety, accuracy and timelimitations were previously a barrier, theI-Site 4400CR helps to produce promptresults. Stope models, stockpile volumesand pit models are now created ondemand without extensive prior planning.For underground scanning, the scanner ismounted to a T-frame and suspended atvarious angles over the working edge ofa drive.

The entire operation benets fromthe survey data obtained by the I-Site4400CR from underground, open pit andstockpiles. Data is fed into mine planningand volume reconciliations for stockpilemanagement.


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NEW VULCANDEVELOPMENT Mapteks global Vulcan productteam previews developments

gathering pace for the next Vulcan release.

Block Caving A new module will encapsulate newfunctionality designed specically forlong term planning of undergroundprojects which are mined by the blockcaving method. Undergoing industrytesting before release, this module allowsusers to quickly simulate the dilution ofmaterial and its economic assessment,and calculate high economic extraction,sequencing, and long-term planning.

Integrated with visual and statisticstools, Block Caving is based on Vulcanspowerful block modelling. All calculationsand data manipulations are set up ina smart and exible interface, savingtime and allowing users to explore morealternatives quicker.

ChronosMultiple enhancements are underway for

Vulcans scheduling module, Chronos.

Advanced optimisation options willprovide users with an interface to mostof the settings available in CPLEX.Every setting accessible through thecommand line solver will be availablein the Chronos Problem Setup panel.

The same level of information on theoptimisation progress will also be availablethrough the Vulcan graphical console.

This allows the optimisation process tobe executed in the background, and to beinterrupted through the Chronos menu,giving the graphical interface almost thesame level of control as the command lineinterface.

Parallel optimisation will allow users to take fulladvantage of multi-coreCPUs to run and solveoptimisation problems, withsignicantly higher levels ofperformance. Given that thecomplexity of the processrequires large amounts

of CPU time, Parallel Optimisation hasbeen upgraded to CPLEX 12.1, enablingmulti-threaded optimisation as standard.

Short term scheduling will allowusers to quickly generate short termplans for one or several open pit minessimultaneously. The user interface is fully

congurable, allowing users to handlethe objectives for the mine and the plant,using and managing multiple stockpilesautomatically.

This new tool will generate:

charts and interactive Excel or CSV>reports of movements in the mine andplant, and

high precision triangulations with>resulting cuts per period, which can befed into advanced calculations in blockmodels.

I-SITE STUDIO3.3 SOFTWARERELEASEDSurveyors will gain furtherefciencies with Mapteks latestsoftware release. Improvementsto the I-Site Studio 3.3 laserscan modelling software aredesigned to streamline routinemine surveying tasks .

Automatic toe and crest detection savestime in open pit surveys. Surveyors caneasily update mine models, which can bemade available for on-site mine plannersand regulatory authorities. This builds onthe open pit update tool in I-Site Studio3.2, which allows users to scan selectedsections of a pit and integrate new datainto the current pit model.

A new global registration tool uses asingle step process to register multiplescans and objects together. This saves

time for surveyors, who previously hadto match pairs of objects/data. Accuracyis increased because fewer registrationsmean fewer chances for error.

This tool is especially useful with the newMaptek I-Site vehicle system, where thescanner is mounted on site vehicles.

Another enhancement for the vehiclesystem allows users to register scans byback-bearing of alignment angle.

Viewing sections through laser scandata is now easier, with an interactivetool allowing users to arbitrarily place andmanipulate section planes.

I-Site Studio 3.3 incorporates many usersuggestions - for example, surveyorshave specically asked to be able to labelelevations on generated contour lines.

As with any software release, I-Site Studio3.3 includes many enhancements . Thenumber of selected objects and primitivescan be dynamically displayed. The

language interface is chosen automaticallybased on the PC settings. Users cansubmit reports to Maptek directly fromwithin I-Site Studio.

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Maptek is continually developing newcapabilities within our products. This

means the best available technologyfor our customers, said Maptek I-SiteGeneral Manager, Peter Johnson.


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NEW GRADECONTROLSOLUTIONUnderground precious metalmines need accurate gradecontrol data to ensure theycan meet production targetsand accurately segregatehigh-value ore types in surfacestockpiles before processing.

At one underground mine, Maptekhas implemented a new solution thatintegrates all exploration, productionand geological data into one gradecontrol database. This allows efcientlocalised modelling, detailed and precisegrade estimation, identication of thevarious ore and grade types in theshort-term production plan, accuratereserve reporting and exploration modelreconciliation.

The challengeOre processing requires differentmethods depending upon the grade andmetallurgical characteristics of the ore.It is therefore critical to predict these

characteristics precisely, and partitionsurface stockpiles to accept each oretype ready for transport to the appropriateprocessing plant.

Grade control information - sampledata, face mapping, grade models,reserve reports and plans - is required

to ensure production targets and plantrequirements are met. Historically, gradecontrol information was stored in disparatesystems, databases and software. Themanual generation of models, reservesand plans was time consuming andinefcient.

The solutionNew methodology was developed toincorporate all assay and geologicaldata, from exploration drilling, productiondrilling, channel samples and grab

samples. Using established gradecontrol functionality widely used inthe open pit environment, Maptekapplied this knowledge, experience andproven software to the undergroundchallenge with great success.

The new solution allows users to dene arun-time, localised block model that drawsfrom all grade and geological sourcedata, and with block size granularityproportionate to the production drifts andstopes in each mining area.

The resultGrade control engineers or geologists cannow generate accurate, reliable results viaan automated specication-driven processusing Vulcans grade control module.

Generating a grade control modelfor production sees a signicantimprovement from 3 hours down toonly 5 minutes.

The underground grade control systembrings great productivity and accuracyimprovements to the geologists dailytasks, at the same time adding thenew capability of automated, run-timereconciliation with exploration models.

Other underground sites will undoubtedlywant to take advantage of the new gradecontrol solution. Implementation requires

database and specication set up byMaptek Technical Services staff.

MAPTEK IS AGAIN PROVINGITS CAPACITY TO FURTHERDEVELOP AND ADAPT PROVEN

TECHNOLOGIES FOR GEOLOGY AND MINE PLANNING TO OURCUSTOMERS BENEFIT.

Rob Slade, Senior Vice President Sales North America

CUSTOMERSUCCESS

AT MINING AWARDS

Maptek congratulates EnergyResources of Australia Ltd (ERA)on being named Explorer of the

Year at the Australian MiningProspect Awards in November.

The Maptek-sponsored category attracteda strong eld in the annual awards, whichrecognise excellence and innovation. Thewinners are chosen by independent judgeswith expertise in the mining industry.

ERAs Ranger mine, near Jabiru in theNorthern Territory, is one of the worldsmost signicant uranium discoveries inrecent years. Ranger installed Maptek

Vulcan for geological modelling, blastdesign and mine planning in 2007. Highlycommended runner up in the samecategory, Atlas Iron, also uses Vulcan.

Peter Johnson, General Manager Australia,who presented the award, said he waspleased that Maptek could contribute tothe success of Australian miners.

ERAs Ranger Mine won Explorer of the Year at the 2009 Australian Prospect awards


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MAXIMISINGEFFICIENCY &INCREASING

SAFETY Maptek will host the rst

Africa & Europe regional usersconference in South Africa fromMarch 8-10, 2010.

This is a chance to become an activemember of the Maptek communityby discussing issues and swappingideas with peers. You need not bea Maptek customer to attend.

Papers are being sought to matchthe theme of Maximising Efciencyand Increasing Safety.

I encourage anyone working in the miningindustry to get in touch about presenting,said Duncan Lee, General Manager, Africaand Europe. Attendees are welcomefrom Africa, Europe and beyond.

With todays economic restrictionsand an increased emphasis on safetyin the workplace, it is important tokeep up with the latest t rends.

Presentations and discussion forumswill allow all delegates to discuss the 5key topics: reconciliation, optimisation,safety, data and resources.

Enjoy the exotic location on a Big 5game reserve, and take away keylearnings from global best practice. Thisis an opportunity not to be missed!

Visit www.maptek.com/south_africa_2010 to nd out more and register. Dont delay -early bird discounts end 15 January 2010.

FIELD TRIALS HAVE PROVEN I-SITE

Saves 70% of time on eld survey tasks>

Saves on capital outlay and improves efciency>

Saves replication while enhancing site exibility>

Contact [email protected] to arrange a demo

$ave with newvehicle system

Maximiseefciency

COMPANIES ADOPTING INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY MOVE TO THE FOREFRONT IN TERMS OF BOTHKNOWLEDGE AND PROFITABILITY. THE BETTER THE TECHNICAL INNOVATION, THE GREATER THEEFFICIENCY, WITH POSITIVE IMPACT ON LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY.

Dr Bob Johnson, Keynote Speaker, Africa & Europe Users Conference 2010

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PROXIMITY ALERT SYSTEM AIDS SAFETY Automated reporting toolswhich identify the proximity ofequipment can reduce risk andhelp improve mine safety.

The Queensland Department of Minesand Energy recently hosted regionalworkshops on equipment proximitydetection and collision avoidance. CracowGold and Maptek were among presenterswho shared their experiences.

The Cracow Gold underground minein central Queensland is a joint venturebetween Newcrest Mining and LionMining. Ore from Cracows 4 mining areasis hauled to the surface ROM stockpile.Cracow has 50 items of mobile eet and85 personnel employed underground.

Cracow is progressively installing MaptekMineSuite , primarily as an automatedreporting system and also as a proximityawareness aid for heavy vehicle operators.Currently, 7 trucks and loaders are ttedwith proximity detection equipment. RFIDtechnology is used to identify their locationand other equipment underground.

More than 100 locations are tagged, alongwith every piece of mobile equipment.

The system talks to the server via periodicwireless dumps at hotspots. Time andmotion, delay status and productivity ofthe tted machines are all recorded.

The in-cab display in certain heavyequipment provides productioninformation to the operator. The system

also activates a visual and audible alarmif any heavy or light vehicles come withinproximity range. The system has beenexpanding since early 2008, with theproximity awareness functionality in placefrom the start.

In preparation for the DME workshops,Cracow Gold conducted a survey ofequipment operators who had been usingthe system. This highlighted that collisionsare most likely to occur:

Backed over in a stockpile>

Leaving a level and entering the decline>Driving into the sun>

Coming around a corner>

The survey also showed a generalacceptance of the MineSuite system, andthat such a system is seen as a worthwhileaddition to safety controls:

50% of the time vehicles detected were>out of sight

40m was the average detection distance>

63% of operators rated it worthwhile>

Cracow noted that the system has alertedoperators to vehicles outside their eld ofvision, of which they were unaware, onmultiple occasions. Also, the advantagesof the system come at additional cost,and there are limitations. Some limitationscan be removed by adjusting the system,such as setting up a low/no alert zone

as vehicles approach the portal fromunderground to avoid a barrage of alerts;others are inherent to current technology.

After 18 months of using MineSuite,Cracow has concluded that proximityawareness is effective as one aspect ofthe safety matrix for underground hardrock mines.

Cracow, the Mining Safety and Health Advisory Council, and Maptek arecontinuing to work together on ndingthe best way for operators to receive andacknowledge alerts, as well as improvingoutcomes in areas of signal strength,detection and cost effectiveness.

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THE COMBINATION OFPROXIMITY DETECTION WITH

AUTOMATED PRODUCTIONREPORTING IS SENSIBLE AND

MEANS THE CAPITAL COSTCAN BE SHARED.

Nick Strong, Mine Manager

Best controls against collision rated by 25vehicle operators


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NEW CUSTOMERS VULCAN

AECOM , a provider of professionalengineering, consulting and projectmanagement services has expanded its

Vulcan use to cover Hong Kong projects.

McKENZIE MINING AND

EXPLORATION is using Vulcan tointegrate historical data for the Nerrinaand St Arnaud Goldelds. Undergroundmapping from the early 1900s, morerecent RC and diamond drilling andsurface mapping are registered in Vulcan,then digitised to build a 3D model, aimingto generate new exploration targets.

MINERA ARUNTANI SAC , whichhas open pit gold mines in Peru, haspurchased 8 Vulcan licences.

NATIONAL MINING SERVICES isa Hunter Valley based civil and miningcontractor servicing the open cut coalsector in Queensland and NSW. NMS uses

Vulcan modelling in developing tenders forcontract mining work in the Bowen Basin.

NEW GOLD - MINERA SAN XAVIER ,Cerro San Pedro Mine, a gold-silverheap-leach operation located in San LuisPotosi in central Mexico, began productionin the rst quarter of 2007. Minera San

Xavier has bought 5 Vulcan licences

for mine planning, with Chronos full, pitoptimiser, modelling, resources estimation.

SHAW RIVER RESOURCES , whichconducts manganese exploration in thePilbara region of Western Australia, hasrented Vulcan for geological modelling onthe Baramine Project.

I-SITE

CAMECO has purchased the I-Site4400CR system for its undergrounduranium mine, McArthur River, inSaskatoon, Saskatchewan. Camecowill use the system to map boxhole drillcavities to eliminate rework.

FORTESCUE METALS GROUPCloudbreak Mine in the Pilbara regionof Western Australia has purchased anI-Site 4400LR and vehicle mount system.Cloudbreak is a new iron ore operation;the scanner will be used for end of monthand stockpile surveys.

LUMINANT Martin Lake Mine openpit coal complex in Tatum, Texas, haspurchased an I-Site Studio softwareoating licence. The operation will gain

exibility by minimising the time spentmoving the dongle across the mine site.

LUMWANA COPPER MINE in Zambiawill use an I-Site 4400LR scanner withvehicle system to streamline month-endsurvey pickups. The scanner will also beused to collect geotechnical data whichwill be used in conjunction with Vulcan.

OK TEDI MINING LTD which producescopper, gold and silver concentrate, haspurchased an I-Site 4400LR laser scanner

with 3 I-Site Studio licences. The Ok Tedimine is located in the mountainous jungleof Papua New Guineas Western Province.

The system will be used for mine surveyand regular volume reporting.

Maptek Forge newsletter is published quarterly. You can receive it by mail,emailed pdf or emailed link to the Maptek website.

Email [email protected] to subscribe or advise changes to contact details. Articles may be reproduced with acknowledgement.

2009 Maptek

Maptek, Vulcan, I-Site, and MineSuite are registered and unregisteredtrademarks of Maptek Pty Ltd; Maptek Computacin Chile Ltda; MaptekComputacin Chile Ltda, Sucursal Per; Maptek S de RL de CV; MaptekInformtica do Brasil Ltda; and KRJA Systems, Inc. Registered marks areregistered in one or more of the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada,Chile, Greece, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Spain, UK and USA.

Maptek staff talking to visitors at Exposibram, Belo Horizonte, September 2009

Surveyor Steven Akawith I-Site 4400LR atOk Tedi Mining, PapuaNew Guinea

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