The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
North of 60 Mining News – April 13, 2018
The real-time data provided by a high-speed wireless system at Hecla Mining's Greens Creek Mine is improving safety and productivity at this underground operation in Alaska.
The ability to continue hauling ore during shift changes with this semi-autonomous long-haul dump (LHD) loader is improving mill production at Hecla's Greens Creek Mine.
Hecla Mining Company April 11 reported that its Greens Creek Mine in Southeast Alaska produced 1.91 million ounces of silver and 13,118 oz of gold during the first quarter of 2018, down slightly from the 1.93 million oz of silver and 14,022 oz gold produced during the first three months of last year.
The Idaho-based mining company attributes the slight drop in precious metals production at Greens Creek to lower ore grades due to mine sequencing, partially offset by higher mill throughput.
The Greens Creek mill operated at an average of 2,349 tons per day during the first quarter, which is on par to the pace that has been set since Hecla implemented 21st Century technologies that are improving efficiencies at the Juneau-area mine.
The centerpiece of the cutting-edge mining technologies at Greens Creek is a high-speed wireless data transfer system that includes miles of communication cables and 70 wireless hotspots connecting the working areas of the underground mine.
This connectivity enables crews to operate fully remote and semi-autonomous mining equipment from the surface, including a semi-autonomous long-haul dump (LHD) loader operating during shift changes.
An operator sitting behind a bank of computer monitors on the surface runs the LHD on the first pass, teaching the machine where to load and dump, and then the loader repeats the process.
With two shift changes a day, each taking about two hours, this avant-garde piece of equipment significantly adds to the amount of ore that can be hauled each day at the underground operation.
"Greens Creek continues growing throughput, primarily due to increased efficiency at shift change as we utilize new technologies like remote monitoring systems and automated use of the LHD," said Hecla President and CEO Phillips Baker, Jr.
Overall, Hecla's four operating mines – Greens Creek, Lucky Friday (Idaho), Casa Berardi (Quebec) and San Sebastian (Mexico) – produced 2.53 million oz of silver, 57,808 oz gold, 30.42 million pounds of zinc and 1.13 million lb of lead.
"Our mines are performing well due to the strength of our operating teams and consistent and disciplined capital programs that have improved these long-lived mines," said Baker, Jr.
–SHANE LASLEY
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