Suppliers News (September 04, 2006)

Rocmec advancing Russian Kid

Pointe-Claire, Que.-based Rocmec Mining (RMI-V) says it’s completed upperhole and downhole drilling on Block H at its Rocmec 1 (formerly Russian Kid) gold property near Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

Upperhole drilling of Block G is ongoing.

The company is using its patented thermal fragmentation (a method of selective ore extraction) mining technique on drifts on levels 150 and 220 of Block C. The tonnes of ore excavated from inside the mineralized rock will be transported to the nearby Granada mill. Thousands of tonnes are stockpiled at Granada and will be processed, the company says, in the coming weeks.

The mill is operating at about 10 tonnes per hour — which is what it was designed to handle. Startup operations will be completed once the mill reaches a constant Monday-to-Friday production cycle.

Thermal fragmentation technology has been used in Russia for more than 30 years in large-scale open pits for the drilling of large blastholes. Rocmec is using the technology on precious metal properties — like Russian Kid — that would have been uneconomic using traditional mining methods.

Rocmec plans to pour its first gold from Rocmec1 later this month.

Hy-Drive does deal with MTI

Mississauga-based Hy-Drive Technologies (HGS-V) says Canada-based Mining Technologies International (MTI) will market, distribute and use Hy-Drive’s Hydrogen Generating System (HGS) technology on certain underground and above-ground mining equipment.

The Hy-Drive system works by generating and injecting small amounts of hydrogen into the combustion chambers of internal combustion engines. This creates an enriched air mixture, which results in a more complete and faster burn and reduced emissions. The company also claims better fuel efficiency and more engine torque. The company says its product can be adapted to a variety of internal combustion engines and fuel-air mixtures.

Hy-Drive will provide MTI with HGS components and MTI will incorporate them into finished, fuel-burning equipment and vehicles at its plant in Sudbury, Ont., where MTI builds mining trucks, loaders, underground utility vehicles, as well as drilling equipment.

“Having purchased and tested twenty HGS units earlier this year, we saw very quickly the enormous benefit that can be achieved from the installation of the technology on diesel-burning mining equipment,” says Robert Lipic, president and CEO of MTI. “While the fuel-saving levels of about twenty-seven per cent were very impressive and surpassed our expectation, we were much more focused on the emission-reduction possibilities that the HGS presented.”

He adds that in tests, particulate matter was almost eliminated and that nitrogen oxides and carbon oxide gases were reduced substantially.

Hy-Drive is an energy technology firm that has developed a proprietary, patented hydrogen generating system.

MTI operates four manufacturing facilities producing a wide range of advanced mining equipment. The company’s head office is located in Sudbury.