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AEL Spearheads the Drive towards Electronic DetonationWednesday, 19 May 2010 |
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AEL Brings Margaret Barge Down to SizeMonday, 3 May 2010 |
AEL Increases Capacity to Meet Demands in Central AfricaMonday, 3 May 2010 |
AEL's Director Receives Prestigious ISEE President's AwardTuesday, 9 March 2010 |
AEL Zimbabwe Gears Up for Ngezi ExpansionTuesday, 23 February 2010 |
| The Energy behind the World's Deepest and Africa's Highest Mine |
| Sunday, 24 January 2010 11:34 | |
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Johannesburg - South Africa - AEL Mining Services, an international leader and innovator in commercial explosives and blasting solutions, deploys its explosives and initiating systems in the world's deepest mining operation and also at one of the highest mines in Africa. AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng Mine currently mines at a record breaking 3 955 metres below datum and the Letseng Mine in Lesotho mines at 3100m above sea level. The VCR B120 project at Mponeng will see the mine go even deeper to an estimated 4 100 m below surface level, which will extend the life of the mine by 20 years and make a significant impact on the economic sustainability of the Carltonville and Fochville communities.The mine deploys AEL's Reefmaster shock tube product as the initiation system and R100G pumpable emulsion as the primary explosive. General blasting results and fragmentation improved significantly after converting the operation from fuse and igniter cord to shock tube technology. This project was conducted in close collaboration with AEL’s explosive engineer, Jannie van Staden. Van Staden is a dedicated AEL resource at the Wes Wits operations responsible for all technical blasting solutions and product support, including training and value adding projects. “The mine has achieved an average advance of 3.7 m per day, totalling 371 m per month exceeding their target of 300 m per month. This is a commendable result considering the dimensions of the 1.5km long tunnel at 4,5m wide by 5 m high with a dip of 12 degrees," comments Van Staden. The bulk emulsion is stored on surface and transported underground in 1.5 ton cassettes. AEL’s UV105 pumping unit delivers emulsion into the blast holes where it becomes explosive after chemically sensitised. The unit’s customised lift is designed by AEL to make charging safer and easier at the face. The mine deploys large 10t LHDs to remove the blasted rock and the improved fragmentation achieved with shock tube enables production personnel to achieve good cycle times and better efficiencies whilst loading the muck pile. Randel Rademann, Mponeng's General Manager, says, “With AEL’s assistance and the dedication of the Mponeng team, AEL's Reefmasters have delivered efficient and consistent blasting results over the last couple of months. This type of commitment by all parties culminates in the safe and successful execution of a ground breaking project. We regard AEL as our partner to assist us to reach greater depths.” From the warm depths of the earth to the icy cold heights of the Moluti Mountains in Lesotho, AEL not only provides the energy behind the world's deepest mine, but also supplies blasting products and services to Africa's highest mine, Letseng, which is situated 3,100 m above surface level in the icy Maluti mountain range in Lesotho. AEL's Van Staden adds, "We are able to customise our blasting products and services to suit extreme conditions; whether it's deep underground in an exceptionally hot and challenging environment like Mponeng, or at extremely high altitudes where the mine is totally snowed in for the month of October, and temperatures can reach extremes of many degrees below C. In these circumstances, we have to deal with the blasting dynamics of below zero temperatures." More about Mponeng VCR Below 120 ProjectAngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng mine (meaning 'look at me' in Tswana) in the North West Province of South Africa is the world's deepest and one of the richest gold mines. It is one of the three AngloGold projects in the West Wits area. EDITORIAL CONTACTSContact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at P and P Communications on +27 11 447 3511 or +27 83 378 2903 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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