Mining associations to converge on Montreal for joint conference

Four associations are joining forces to stage a major mining show in Montreal next month.

Montreal ’98, a conference of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), the Council of Mining and Metallurgical Institutions (CMMI) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is set for May 2-7 at the Palais des Congrs. The event will comprise an international trade show, plenary session, technical sessions, meetings and social events.

The trade show, CIM Tradex, will mark the 100th anniversary of Canada’s pre-eminent mining association. More than 350 companies are planning to set up booths at the exposition, which promises to be the largest-ever gathering of equipment manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and service-providers.

Among the agencies, associations and companies that have reserved space are the Canada Centre for Mineral & Energy Technology, Natural Resources Canada, the Mineral Research Centre, Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources, the Inco Technology & Project Centre, Teck, Cominco, the Canadian Space Agency, Alcan Aluminium, Hydro-Quebec, the Noranda Research Centre, and Syncrude Canada.

Also participating will be the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, which will feature exhibits by more than 30 countries. And for the first time ever, the show will include an exhibit devoted to mining software and computer modelling.

A plenary session on May 4 will focus on mineral resources in the next century, with emphasis on mining, finance and satellite technology.

Keynote speakers are expected to discuss mine financing and demonstrate the link between mining and space technology. They include: Brian Loton, former chairman of Australia-based BHP Group (and chairman of the plenary session); Robert Wilson, chairman of London-based Rio Tinto; David Goldman, president of Toronto-based Noranda Metallurgy; Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau; an as-yet-unnamed representative of the World Bank Group; and Michael West, chairman of The Mining Journal.

The main technical sessions will focus on: global mining investment opportunities (May 4-6); gold recovery (May 5-7); quality control of resource estimation (May 5-6); metals and the environment (May 5-6); education (May 7); advanced technology (May 3); future mine planning (May 7); and mining finance (May 7).

Dozens of other technical sessions will be presented at the conference, on topics such as asbestos, coal, iron ore, computer application and automation, metallurgy, mineral economics, rock mechanics and space robotics.

Workshops will cover such topics as: mineral project evaluation; field instrumentation in ground engineering; mine water management; blasting technology; flotation; and surface mine automation. All the workshops will be held May 3, and the registration fee of $250 per workshop is not included in the overall fee.

No field trips are planned.

For more information, call (514) 939-2710 or 1-800-558-5335, fax (514) 939-2714 or E-mail: registration@cim.org