At our Lalor underground mine in Manitoba, we are employing multiple technology initiatives that go beyond productivity improvements to create an overall better, safer mine.
In 2021, Lalor implemented a better process to manage each shift, called Short Interval Control. This process is enabled by near real-time data produced by the Mobilaris Mining Intelligence™ technology solution and is put into action by a new Mine Coordinator role, operating in the mine control room. The technology solution, which has several operating efficiency benefits, allows us to monitor our underground operation remotely via video in a control room from which the coordinator can see where all the equipment is located, be alerted to any bottlenecks or traffic congestion issues, recognize issues sooner and respond sooner with better information, or help avoid issues altogether. This capability has also been provided to supervisors at their request, as it helps people underground to find the equipment they need more quickly. With this solution, miners spend more time on value-added activities with fewer barriers in the way of their work.
A related initiative, Mobilaris Onboard™, was launched in 2021. Installed on smart tablets, the technology uses Google Maps/GPS-style search and navigation to show operators where they are in the mine on a 3D map that provides the ability to search and navigate to any point of interest in the mine. The system also provides operators with advance notice of any vehicles approaching their location, along with a quick link to find the nearest refuge, if they have to get out of the way or find emergency shelter for some other reason.
We installed the technology based on two years’ worth of health and safety data, which shows that 8% of all Lalor safety incidents were vehicle on vehicle. In the future, more functionality will be added to the Onboard technology, which is currently functioning in 62 vehicles at Lalor.
Another important technology we began deploying during the year is tele-remote mucking, which allows the mucker to mine out a stope and move material to an underground ore pass while the person operating the mucker is located on the surface of the mine away from any mining hazards. In 2022, we plan to expand our tele-remote equipment to include Simba longhole drills. These are blast hole drills, and with the tele-remote technology, the longhole operator can operate the drill from the surface rather than being exposed to the hazards present in the stopes while drilling blast holes.