Mountain high valley low – we deliver!
AEL at World's Deepest and Africa's Highest Mine

AEL Mining Services 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 Uni-delay (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 Uni-delay has 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."

Growing Partnership Hand in Hand
AEL Zimbabwe Gears Up for Ngezi expansion project

AEL Zimbabwe has partnered with Zimplats to provide an explosives solution for the Ngezi Mining Division for the expansion project at three portals, namely Ngwarati, Rukodzi and Bimha underground mines.

When the second concentrator started operating in July 2009, AEL Zimbabwe was well-prepared to meet the increase in underground bulk emulsion supply to support each of the mine's portals. This included managing stock and shafthead deliveries, and restructuring equipment and providing additional technical back-up service to charging units. Upskilling on-site personnel was also critical to support the change.

The premature closure of the open pit mine at Ngezi Mining Division due to the worldwide economic recession in 2008 shifted the ore demand to the underground operations with annual production ramping up from 2.1Mt to an expected 4.2Mt by 2010.

AEL's has maintained good relationship with Zimplats Ngezi Mining Division dating back to 2001 when the company won an explosives tender to provide Prime, Load, Tie and Shoot (PLTS) blasting services for the open pit mine.

Expectations are high that Phase Two expansion of the Ngezi project will commence in the next few years. The volumes of explosives consumption is forecast to increase from the current 4,500 tons per year to 8,000 tons per year. At present, six emulsion charging units have been commissioned for the three portals and an additional three will be deployed as production ramps up at Bimha Mine.

Langton Nyandoro, Business Manager of AEL Zimbabwe comments, "As the mine expands and the volume of emulsion increases, AEL will continuously monitor and assess the viability of site based emulsion manufacture, which can be rapidly mobilised in the form of modular plants. AEL's automated shock tube manufacturing plant at Modderfontein has the capacity and capability to meet Ngezi Mining Division's future demands.

"AEL is proud to remain a partner of choice, customising explosives solutions and capabilities as Zimplats grows its mining production into the future."