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70 E&MJ; • OCTOBER 2017 www.e-mj.com SUPPLIERS REPORT Belzona repaired a slurry tank dam- aged by corosion at Barrick Gold Corp.'s Dominican Republic mine, Pueblo Viejo. The tank was used to neutralize acidic sludge to a higher pH. Belzona, operating within a 20-day timeframe, rebuilt the damaged areas with Belzona 1121, a paste-grade, ep- oxy material. It also coated the tank with Belzona 1381, a solvent-free material designed to operate under continuous im- mersion of up to 95°C. Upon inspection, the base and floor of the tank was found to be more damaged than previously ex- pected. Therefore, a thicker build was applied to the damaged areas. The system was installed within the timeframe thanks to the fast spray appli- cation and is so far performing perfectly, Belzona reported. Further, it was three times less expensive than the cost of the rubber lining. Barrick was satisfied with the system, Belzona reported. "For technical support, Belzona has been one of our best partners to date on information, support, improvements and applications," Noelia Diaz Tavarez, asset integrity engineer, said. "In this par- ticular case, these were key factors for the execution of the work on time. As of August, we are fully confident in the products." Freeport-McMoRan Extends Contract for Connected Mine Solution Freeport-McMoRan Inc. awarded Accen- ture a five-year agreement to extend the implementation of the Accenture Connect- ed Mine solution. Use of the solution will expand from Freeport-McMoRan's Morenci, Arizona, open-pit copper mine to three other locations in North America and new instal- lations at its Cerro Verde, Peru, mine, with new features added to the digital platform. The Connected Mine solution provides a single application that can quickly alert personnel to prevent productivity and safety risks. The solution combines mobile, cloud and analytics to track as- set utilization and yields. It leverages the patented Accenture Cloud Platform to add computing power, as needed, and launch new capabilities and services for the business in a matter of days. The miner said it was confident in the system. "Connected Mine puts relevant information in the field to let supervisors be more effective in achieving desired results. Additionally, this platform acts as a conduit to effectively operational- ize critical findings from our data ana- lytics programs," said Cory A. Stevens, vice president, operational improvement. "Connected Mine assists us in advancing our improvement programs to realize val- ue in terms of improved safety, cost re- duction and increased production." Beyond the geographical expansion, Ac- centure and Avanade will continue devel- opment functionalities of the Connected Mine solution, including dynamic mine planning, drill visualization and blast optimization. These and other enhance- ments target increased response times to mining process issues via real-time alerts to supervisors. Ventilation Engineering Firm Buys Software Maker Mine ventilation engineering firm How- den acquired Chasm Consulting, maker of Ventsim software. Howden will now offer a full suite of solutions for mine ventilation, from modeling and design software to full turnkey projects, includ- ing main and auxiliary fans, instrumen- tation, automation and ventilation on-de- mand via the Simsmart product line, the company reported. Sandvik's South African Hub Produces Loaders Sandvik's Jet Park facility and region- al hub, dubbed Product Area Load and Haul, in South Africa, began prototype operations in July by initiating production of the LH115L loader. The new 5-metric-ton (mt) low-pro- file loader will be launched in South Africa. Both cost-efficient and durable, the loader has been developed and op- timized for local mining conditions, the company reported. It is also the first product to be manufactured locally, us- ing local suppliers, locally sourced com- ponents and local employees, with train- ing programs in place. Belzona Repairs Barrick Slurry Tank When coating the second layer of Belzona 1381, only a thicker build was needed near to the damaged areas to restore them. (Photo: Belzona) Sandvik began producing a new loader at its South African facility for local use. (Photo: Sandvik)