Mining and Exploration

It was in 1972 that Dame Shirley Bassey released the iconic song Diamonds Are Forever. Immortalised as the theme tune to one of Sean Connery’s greatest James Bond adventures the song spoke of how diamonds will remain long after a person’s love has gone. The truth is that not only will diamonds outlive many generations to come, the creation of natural diamonds pre-dates life on earth itself.

Wherever life may take us, we are all born with the same basic skill set. However it is from this point onwards that we each develop and progress as human beings in hugely different ways from one another. Nevertheless, the vast majority of us will one day find ourselves in a similar position to when we were young in that we will require training to embark on our future career paths.

It is expected that this time-saving functionality will enable users to gain a rapid interpretation of mineral’s properties while actually in the field, this eliminating the need for geologists to wait for lab results to verify what they are working with.

XRF machines are portable geochemical analysers designed specifically for in-field mining and exploration use. By scanning a sample, an XRF machine provides users with an immediate analysis of elements.

Copper fundamentals are highly buoyant. Demand for copper is increasing at over half a million tones annually, most of it driven by China, which consumes 20 percen of global supply. Demand for copper shows no sign of levelling off in the opinion of researchers at Yale, who calculated from 2006 consumption figures that global demand for copper would exceed the amount extractable from the ground by 2100.

Like its neighbours Oman developed its economy on oil and gas, and like them it is now trying to diversify that economy by establishing industries that will sustain its growth over decades to come. Oman occupies a favourable position on the east coast of the Arabian desert peninsula so in 2004, with the strategically placed Port of Sohar designated as a major industrial hub it made sense to set up an aluminium smelting operation there.

Set Point Group is a South African company, comprising seven distinct businesses serving mainly the mining industry and a few unrelated sectors. It’s an interesting mix, with a rather unusual genesis. 

Seeing as Africa produces more than 60 different metal and mineral products, and is a major source of several of the world’s most important commodities, it is little wonder that it remains an area of profound interest for mining companies. While exploration and mining developments across the continent have undoubtedly increased in recent decades, there is still considerable scope for expansion. 

Mr Kloppers’ retirement will see him replaced by Andrew Mackenzie who is currently head of the company’s base metals business.

Announcing his retirement, Mr Kloppers said the decision was "never going to be easy, however after almost 20 years with BHP Billiton, 12 as a senior executive and nearly six as CEO, I believe now is the right time to pass the leadership baton."

"The board has decided that Andrew is the right person to lead BHP Billiton in a changing global environment," the company said in a statement.

As the mining sector in South Africa has evolved, so too have the mechanisms, tools, items of equipment and software needed to service what is a dynamic, complex and challenging industry. It was in the 1980s that MineWare’s managing director, Paul Saker, first identified the fact that this rapidly growing industry required access to much more detailed financial analysis when it comes to fixed and variable cost modelling.