If the 124th annual meeting and trade show of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration had to be summed up in a word, it would be “variety.”
More than 5,300 people attended the recent event here in Colorado’s capital, which featured exhibits by some 420 companies and the following highlights:
* Technical sessions covered everything from in situ leaching technology to a review of BHP Diamonds’ N.W.T. Diamonds joint venture with Dia Met Minerals in the Northwest Territories.
* The keynote session addressed global mining strategies today and into the 21st century.
* Glen Barton, group president of equipment manufacturer Caterpillar, shared his vision of the industry, predicting that the relationship between miners and equipment-suppliers will become increasingly important as mines continue to economize and increase competitiveness. Barton said mining machinery will be characterized by an “increasing intelligence” in the next decade, with an emphasis on electronics and data-gathering capacity.
* Phillip Crowson, head of RTZ’s economics department, reviewed the risks and rewards that accompany investment in the world’s minerals industry. * Jerry Ellis, chief executive officer of BHP Minerals, explained how his company is pursuing cost reductions, expansion into existing markets, world-wide exploration, research and project acquisitions.
Be the first to comment on "SME features global mining"