Each year we celebrate excellence in the mining industry by inviting our readers to nominate people, companies, groups or projects that they feel have demonstrated outstanding commitment to advancing the state of play in mining over the past 12 months.

The list of shortlisted finalists is below. Final voting closes December 27. Please vote here.

The winners will be announced in the January/February print issue of Mining Magazine, and on miningmagazine.com on January 22, 2024.

This year we were aided in our judging by: 

John Loff-Peterson, CMSP, CSP, CRSP John Loff-Peterson is a Certified Mine Safety Professional (CMSP) with a Master's Degree in Risk Control and is currently the Board Chair of the International Academy of Mine Safety & Health of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration. John has been a safety professional for 20 years with the past 12 in the mining industry. In his position as Health & Safety Manager for Barr Engineering Co., John is responsible for providing safety guidance, hazard analysis, and support for mining projects throughout North America and around the world.

Ann S. Maest Ann Maest is an aqueous geochemist with Buka Environmental in Telluride, Colorado, the US. She specialises in the environmental effects of hardrock mining, baseline water quality, geochemical testing methods and modelling, and responsible mining assessment. Dr. Maest was a research geochemist at the US Geological Survey, has served on several US National Academy of Sciences earth resources committees, and was an invited speaker on mining issues at the United Nations. Ann holds a PhD in geochemistry and water resources from Princeton University.

Thanks so much to our judges for their input. If you are interested in being part of the MM judging panel, please get in touch.

Environmental Stewardship

Stantec, Riverbend Industries and Castle Aggregate

On the eastern foothill slope of one of Colorado's most infamous 14ers, Pikeview Quarry has been serving the Colorado Springs community since it opened in 1903. An integral part of the community, much of the town has been built using the limestone material from the quarry.  Pikeview Quarry, now closed, is being prepared for a new phase in its life. The visual scar is being erased and the land is being integrated back into the community in three phases: reclamation, restoration, and recreation. When all stages are complete and upon acceptance by the City of Colorado Springs (City) the restored site will be donated for public use.  With a commitment to the community and safety, Stantec has worked with Riverbend Industries since 2012 to manage the entire reclamation process from start to finish—through permitting, engineering, supply chain support, project management, construction management, and even the revegetation process. 

Orica

Neo is Orica's new brand for environmentally friendly, sustainable initiation systems products. The Neo range of Exel™ non-electric detonators is produced using a lead-free formulation in Gyttorp, Sweden, with no lead or lead compounds used in the manufacturing process of the pyrotechnic delay compositions.

In the industry, Exel™ non-electric blasting technology range encompasses safety, innovation and excellence and is built based on the Non Primary Explosives Detonator (NPED) technology, successfully used by Orica for the last 30 years. Same as the original Exel™ range, the newly launched Exel™ Neo range is designed for use in civil infrastructure as well as surface and underground mining operations.

Metso Chile

Metso Chile has been successful in meeting its goal of annual reduction of 7% of its carbon footprint by 2030, with outstanding performance in 2023 (reduction of 11%). % CO2 equivalent to October). This is due to a series of initiatives of a very diverse nature, such as the use of technology for the self-generation of electrical energy, the recycling of wearing parts such as mill linings out of use with Codelco, to aspects that have to do with the organizational culture and commitment of collaborators in caring for the environment, such as holding events for stakeholders with sustainability issues, or, for example, through the reuse and revaluation of clothing items, as raw material for the production of reusable bags and new clothing such as caps and therapeutic cushions.                        

Metso Peru

This case is related to Metso's decarbonisation strategy to reach the path to net zero. In a short time, the company's carbon footprint has been significantly reduced since it was measured. There are many actions of different nature, from technological issues such as installing solar panels to changing people's habits through an awareness campaign. The actions are officially recognized by the most relevant environmental organization in the country (Ministerio del Ambiente del Peru - MINAM). What is distinctive about this case is that Metso involved all their collaborators in conversations where the employees proposed actions to mitigate the footprint. The installation of solar panels in mining units helps reduce not only Metso's carbon footprint but also that of the mining company and the Peruvian mining industry. It serves as an example for other mining providers.

Kal Tire

In 2021, after years of research and testing. Kal Tire successfully opened a thermal conversion OTR tire recycling facility in Antofagasta, Chile that can process five 63" diameter tires (20,000 kilograms) every day—creating 7500 litres of petroleum products, 4,500 kg of steel and 8,000 kg of recovered carbon black as well as enough synthetic gas to fuel the plant itself for several hours.   It's the only operating facility of its kind that Kal Tire is aware of and the industry has never had a solution as robust as this—a critical first step in giving mines a way to operate more sustainably.   Kal Tires motivation was to provide a concrete solution to support our customers and partners in their drive for circular economy and ultimately a lower carbon future.  

Pembroke Resources

Pembroke resources' Olive Downs Complex has set new standards in environmental conservation and embedded ESG practices.  It is the first mine to establish a dedicated Koala and Greater Glider clinic to research, preserve and protect these endangered species in their natural habitat. Olive Downs' unique approach to wildlife protection during clearing operations also sets it apart. The three-stage protocol ensures minimal disruption to wildlife, showcasing our commitment to sustainability.  The Olive Downs Complex goes beyond traditional mining. It is the first mine to implement an Integrated Mining Concept on its 41,000 hectare campus, which encompasses designated conservation areas, a wildlife clinic, solar farms, an indigenous cultural centre, pastural operations and an eco village, creating a holistic approach to resource mining.

Thiess Rehabilitation

Minerals Processing (Projects/Companies/Organisations):

Vale and Weir Minerals

Vale and Weir Minerals pioneered the use of the Cavex® 2 CVD hydrocyclone in iron ore desliming application and achieved a 9 percentage point gain in mass recovery, increasing it to 56%.

Vale and Weir Minerals partnered to optimise the desliming stage at Vale's Vargem Grande 2 Plant (VGR2), located near the town of Nova Lima in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The average iron ore slimes losses at VGR2 corresponded to approximately 18% by weight of the total iron ore mined, totalling 1.9 million tons of iron lost every year.

FLSmidth

The REFLUX Concentrating Classifier (RCC™) utilises gravity-based separation techniques to tackle the recovery challenges associated with low-grade minerals. This results in vast recovery improvements for low-grade mineral ores and tailings.

Highly effective in upgrading the concentration of valuable minerals in low-grade feed samples, the modifications allow heavy minerals to settle in a lower gangue ratio region induced by split fluidisation flow.

Compared to traditional minerals recovery methods, the RCC offers smaller footprint requiring no expensive foundations or tall structures to accommodate multiple stages - a more efficient and cost-effective solution. Improved recovery of valuable minerals in feeds of 3% or less make it a crucial tool for improved sustainability of the mining industry.

Draslovka

Draslovka's patented Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT) is the revolutionary mining processing solution the industry needs. GLT extends the life of assets by reducing cut-off grades thereby making previously uneconomic resources economic. This means miners can mine more from their currently identified assets. GLT also enables recovery from tailings, another source of critical metals, which not only reduces the amount of waste on site but creates value from waste.  

Metso - Collahuasi

This entry covers a successful change of rolled steel linings for the largest ball mill in South America, all this in a record time of 4 weeks. Additionally, the future performance of these liners will be measured through the Metso DEM 3D simulation tool, which will provide a prediction of the wear of the proposed liners.  Collahuasi Uses Metso's Megaliner Linings in the Largest Ball Mill in South America.  

Metso Peru

This case is related to how a Mining company in southern Peru and Metso designed, test, and implemented second-generation liners for MP 1250 crushers, increasing their lifespan by 50%. In one of the leading mining operations in the Tacna department, Metso Peru conducted a series of tests for the implementation of profiles for MP 1250 crushers. The goal was to extend the lifespan of these wear parts and address the supply shortage faced by the mining unit in 2022. The results of this test showed an increase in the lifespan of the liners with a maximum of 1,068 hours of effective operation, representing a 55% increase in their duration. 

Russell Mineral Equipment

From the original RUSSELL Mill Relining Machine (MRM) for new liner placement, to the introduction of THUNDERBOLT Recoilless Hammers for worn liner removal, and now to today's semi-autonomous RME Advanced Technology Mill Relining System - which enables relining to be performed from outside the mill, away from the line of fire - RME's inventions have driven forward the safety and productivity of the global comminution industry, halving and often quartering traditional mill relining durations. 

Vale & Metso at Ponta da Madeira 

Vale has adopted an unprecedented iron ore regrinding solution at the Ponta da Madeira Port Terminal in São Luís (MA), Brazil, which handles approximately 15 million tons of ore per month and accounts for up to 70% of the company's international shipments in this area. This is a mobile plant, maintained and operated by Metso, which was installed with the aim of reducing the granulometry and humidity of the material arriving from the company's mines in the Northern Corridor, located in Pará, and transported by train to Maranhão.

Minerals Processing (People):

Dr Glenn Dobby, Woodgrove Technologies

Glenn has been instrumental in building two leading edge mineral processing equipment and process control companies. His PhD at McGill was in the then new technology of column flotation for which he developed the scale up methodology. After a few years as assistant professor at the University of Toronto, he left in the early 1990s to establish with Glenn Kosick MinnovEX, a company which specialised in design and installation of flotation columns. This was highly successful, the technology now being mainstream, for example columns becoming the key cleaning stage in Cu/Mo processing plants. The company merged with SGS Canada in the mid 2000s. But Glenn's passion for modernizing flotation cell equipment led to establishing a new company, Woodgrove Technologies, and the development of the Stage Flotation Reactor and the Direct Flotation Reactor, technologies now installed at plants in Chile and Bulgaria.

Dr Sibasis Acharya

Pioneering the development and implementation of innovative mineral processing technologies that significantly improve efficiency, sustainability, or safety in the mining industry. Implementing environmentally sustainable practices within mineral processing operations, showcasing a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of mining activities.

Dr. John Forster

Has made key advances in the pretreatment of ores to reduce comminution energy and the carbon footprint of mining.

Xinyi (Wendy) Tian

Wendy is an up and coming professional in the field who has demonstrated excellence in areas related to comminution circuit modelling, microwave processing, and tailings management. Xinyi Tian is a leader in the application of microwave technology  in mineral processing. She completed all of the comminution circuit modelling for the Crush It! Challenge and is overseeing the development of the sorting process, as well as the business aspects of the technology with special emphasis on market introduction. She won the 2022 CEEC medal for best technical paper, which represents a significant achievement in the field of mineral processing.

Safety:

Hexagon 

The HxGN MineProtect Operator Alertness System (OAS) is a leading-edge solution that combines an in-cab device, sensor technology, machine-learning image processing, and advanced algorithms developed by Hexagon to detect and manage risks of operator fatigue and distraction, one of the leading causes of mine accidents. The solution also offers timely interventions and supports continuous operational improvement by connecting onboard technologies with a cloud service for real-time notifications and data analytics. 

Engentus

The TopTorque Precision Reactionless Bolting System is a Western Australian developed innovation that eliminates the biggest hazard from tightening industrial bolted joints with powered torque wrenches. Engentus has developed reaction-tip bolts and counterrotating drivers to internally react the torque from a powered torque wrench - completely removing the reaction arm and its potential hand-crush and tool kick-back hazards. Further, TopTorque TM battery power tools are non-impacting and don't require hearing protection. 

Russell Mineral Equipment

PT Freeport Indonesia (PT-FI Indonesia), a Freeport McMoran (FCX) site, enlisted the expertise of RME to conduct a safety study of their reline activities, identifying opportunities to mitigate hazards and improve safety practices. This led to a collaborative engineering program involving RME and other OEMs, including Bradken, to install an automated mill relining system customised for two semi-autogenous grinding (SAG) mills, and a third SAG project under construction.

Coronado Global Resources

Seeking to reduce the likelihood of uncontrolled personnel entry into the operating footprint of a dragline, Coronado Global Resources initiated a review of proximity detection systems currently available and equipment interactions in and around dragline operational areas. At the time of the assessment, there were no established personnel proximity detection systems in compliance with functional safety standards for large machinery in Australia. 

Martin Engineering

Martin Engineering's industry-leading Foundations Training program represents the most comprehensive collection of content and learning resources to help inform mining operations of concepts and best practices to operate and maintain clean, safe, and productive belt conveyor systems. Offered worldwide, the Foundations™ program encompasses a variety of learning formats and offerings, including live in-person instructor-led classes, live virtual instructor-led sessions via video call, an ongoing series of live monthly webinars, a self-paced online training program, an online learning centre website, and an ever-growing library of pre-recorded on-demand webinars and downloadable e-books. 

Fleet Excellence:

Liebherr R 9300

The R 9300 is Liebherr Mining's latest addition to its excavator portfolio. This machine takes efficiency to a new level thanks to the latest Liebherr Mining technology embedded. This technology provides the machine with improved onsite performance as well as compatibility with Liebherr's Assistance Systems and future product enhancements such as automation, zero emission technologies, and digital services. As an example, Liebherr Power Efficiency (LPE) - a proprietary engine and hydraulics management system that helps to decrease the amount of fuel a machine consumes while maintaining optimal productivity and performance - comes as standard in the R 9300. 

Aramine

Aramine has created a battery-powered mining loader for small and medium section mines with a changing battery system. No big electricity network is needed. The 4-ton mining loader version is now in production. 

Eacon Mining Technology

EACON Mining Technology achieved a fleet of 203 autonomous mining trucks at the South-Pit Coal Mine in Northwest China. This impressive fleet now constitutes nearly 40% of the total truck fleet at the mine, solidifying EACON's position as a leader in autonomous mining technology.

Technology & Innovation (Surface, Underground and Midstream)             

Yancoal and TPG Telecom Mobile Private Network Project

Our collaboration with Yancoal at their Mount Thorley Warkworth site represents a pioneering step in mining communications, delivering a robust and secure private network that has revolutionized on-site connectivity. The end to end manage service is a first-of-its-kind deployment in the Hunter Valley directly improving operational efficiency by boosting network coverage from 60% to 99% whilst increasing network security through protecting sensitive data and mission critical infrastructure.

Eacon Mining Technology

EACON Mining Technology had launched its next-generation solution in 2023. In this innovative solution, the central server is responsible solely for dispatching scheduling instructions, while the execution is primarily determined by the vehicles themselves. Enhanced vehicle sensing capabilities enable autonomous route planning and the recognition of other vehicles, obstacles and humans to guarantee safety and operational efficiency. 

Rithmik Solutions

Rithmik has delivered the world's most advanced and reliable analytics solution for mobile mining equipment optimisation. Their unique approach is based on decades of first-hand experience working with mobile mining equipment, leveraging the sensors and data that mine sites already have access to, combined with proprietary data processing and innovations in cloud computing and AI.  

Epiroc

The introduction of Powerbit X. The technology is called PCD (polycrystalline diamond) and is used in our Powerbit X range. Explore how a two-millimeter diamond layer can help you improve workplace safety, reduce downtime and minimize CO₂ emissions. A new type of button bits for the mining industry.

Metso - Centinela

We have applied for the prescriptive maintenance service of the Metso Performance Center in Santiago de Chile to HP800 crushers of Minera Centinela (AMSA), since it is a successful case that demonstrates how real-time data extraction through IIoT systems and analysis with Intelligence Artificial (ML) and Natural Intelligence are useful tools for consolidating prescriptive maintenance of equipment for concentrator plants that improves equipment availability and efficiency.  

Haver & Boecker Niagara

In 2023, Haver & Boecker Niagara custom-engineered the largest vibrating grizzly screen in the world. Manufactured with Hardox® steel perforated plates and grizzly bars for a large Brazilian iron ore operation, the Niagara XL-Class vibrating grizzly screen boasts a capacity of 8,000 tph and a cut size of 200 mm. As the largest exciter-driven machine in the industry, the XL-Class provides the operation with high-capacity screening while maximizing uptime and production. Combined with the grizzly technology, the XL-Class offers the necessary ability to remove large stones, relieving pressure on the primary crusher. 

Pembroke Resources

Pembroke Resources' Olive Downs Complex is a newly created tier one steelmaking mine 2023 with the highest standards of innovtion, efficiency and sustainability.  Olive Downs is leading the way in automation and autonomy in mining with its mining services partner Theiss, combining leading edge insight to unlock the benefits of autonomous mining.  It is the first steelmaking coal mine to run extensive autonomous haulage and drilling systems in the same operation from day one of operations, allowing embedded innovation to shape the productivity and efficiency of what will be one of the largest steelmaking coal mines for decades. This enables sustainable operations through enhanced safety, increased work hours and productivity, and improved efficiency, harnessing the power of people and technology to drive sustainable change.

TruScan by Veracio

TruScan is a cloud-integrated In-Field Sample-Scanning Platform that automates and improves ore zone identification, campaign vectoring, logging processes and economic decision-making by capturing geochemical, lithological and structural data in a streamlined and consistent environment. Making it the lifeblood of drilling campaigns employing X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) technology and high-resolution imagery to deliver detailed orebody data.  Contrary to historical logging practices that prioritise logging for visual, manual and human interpretation, TruScan provides volumes of data that are optimised for the use of Machine Learning and AI. 

Tersa Earth Innovations

As a pioneering environmental biotechnology company based in British Columbia, Canada, Tersa Earth Innovations stands at the forefront of sustainable solutions for the mining and remediation sectors, reshaping industry standards and setting new benchmarks for technological innovation and environmental responsibility.  Tersa Earth's TersaClean Technology: A Game-Changer for the Mining industry By utilizing microbial fuel cells (MFC) and microbially-induced carbonate precipitation (MICP), Tersa Earth's TersaClean technology sustainably recovers metals from tailing effluents, ensuring energy-efficiency, profitability and net-zero neutralization

Fleet Space Technologies

Fleet Space Technologies, a leading Australian space company, is revolutionising humanity's search for critical minerals and the mining exploration industry with its satellite-enabled solutions and seismic array technology (EXOSPHERE BY FLEET®). Fleet's seismic array technology, EXOSPHERE BY FLEET®, has rapidly disrupted the exploration industry by delivering high-fidelity 3D mapping of underground critical mineral deposits - quickly, affordably, and with minimal environmental impact. Leveraging Fleet's constellation of low Earth orbit satellites and passive seismic methods, EXOSPHERE BY FLEET® is able to provide actionable 3D velocity models in a matter of days, radically decreasing the time it takes to locate a potential deposit. The technology has been used to conduct surveys on a variety of commodity types across 5 continents with over 30 global exploration customers, including Rio Tinto, Barrick Gold and Core Lithium.

Wingtra

The contribution and focus on the role of UAVs and aerial data capture in the mining sector. Recently released their RGB61 payload, which due it its reliable high resolution data capture, is leading to huge amounts of saved downtime in mining companies around the world.  

FLSmidth

HPGR Pro High-Pressure Grinding Roll

Improving efficiency, reliability, and sustainability is on ongoing challenge in the mining industry. This is particularly so in the grinding circuit, where traditional solutions consume significant quantities of energy, water, and grinding media.

In contrast, HGPR have long proved themselves to be the most energy-efficient form of comminution. And as a dry process that relies on compression between two counter-rotating rollers to crush the feed material, no water or grinding media are required.

FLSmidth

The RFC™- REFLUX™ Flotation Cell
The ability to operate at gas and wash water fluxes above what is traditionally possible with any other existing flotation equipment sets this technology apart.

The REFLUX Flotation Cell (RFC) operates at a magnitude far beyond the capacity of existing flotation devices, reducing the required installation footprint. Its novel arrangement enhances the hydrodynamics of flotation, with the ability to recover a wide size distribution of minerals at a rate of up to 7-10 times faster than traditional methods.

Bulk Handling

Martin Engineering

For innovations in technology, training, and education in the bulk material handling industry. 

Philippi-Hagenbuch 

Philippi-Hagenbuch expanded its custom engineering portfolio of HiVol® Hard Rock Bodies to include asymmetrical bodies that are optimized for underground environments. The design maximizes each truck's hauling capacity while allowing for safer, more efficient loading to account for environmental constraints, such as clearance and visibility.