120 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Australia
T +61 (0) 3 9283 3333
F +61 (0) 3 9283 3707
Press release
Rio Tinto’s Mine of the FutureTM programme tests advanced technologies for underground tunnelling, exploration and mineral recovery 10 June 2011
Rio Tinto is testing new techniques for underground tunnelling, mineral exploration and improved recovery of ore in its latest push to develop competitive advantage through its
Mine of the FutureTM programme.
Launched in 2008, Mine of the FutureTM introduces next-generation technologies for mining operations that aim to reduce costs, increase efficiency and improve health, safety and environmental performance.
Shaft and tunnel boring systems
Rio Tinto is in advanced stages of developing new shaft and tunnel boring systems aimed at significantly reducing the time taken to excavate underground.
The tunnel boring system will be trialled next year at the Northparkes copper and gold mine in New South Wales with shaft boring system trials to follow.
Rio Tinto believes these rapid mine construction developments through the tunnel and shaft boring systems could lead to a reduction of up to 40 per cent in the time taken to construct an underground mine.
Innovation in mineral recovery
Rio Tinto is working on ways of improving rates of ore recovery from mature and complex deposits.
Pilot projects are underway in both iron ore and copper, aiming to upgrade marginal ore, reclaim ore from waste streams and improve efficiency through lower energy consumption.
Advanced exploration technologies
An airborne gravity gradiometer is being tested as a potential tool for finding the next tier one ore body. The device can be deployed in an aeroplane to detect small changes in the gravitational forces which result in density differences in the earth that indicate potential mineral deposits.
Registered in Australia Rio Tinto Limited 120 Collins Street Melbourne 3000 Australia ABN 96 004 458 404

Télécharger le communiqué
!:!iframe http://www.nextnews.fr/upload/fr/nextnews%5Frio%5Ftinto%5F%5Frio%5Ftinto%92s%5Fmine%5Fof%5Fthe%5Ffuturetm%5Fprogramme%5Ftests%5Fadvanced%5Ftechnologies%5Ffor%5Funderground%5Ftunnelling%5Fexploration%5Fand%5Fmineral%5Frecovery%5F55840%2EPDF!:!

En partenariat avec NextNews