CIM GTA West: Douglas Morrison on Increasing deep, metals mine productivity

Date And Time: Thu, September 24, 2020, 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM EEST

 

Talk on significant changes to operating practice and technology platforms in mining, to increase development and production rates

 

About this Event

 

Douglas Morrison, CEO, Centre for Excellence in Mining innovation (CEMI)

 

In 2017, Deloitte reported that productivity in the global mining industry had declined by 28% in the preceding 10 years. This was caused by mines continuing to rely on the existing technology platforms in the face of declining grades, increasing production costs with depth. If the mining industry is to be able to provide adequate returns to investors, this decline has to be recovered. If the industry is to deliver the raw materials needed to enable the scale of electrification of the economy necessary to address Climate Change, this has to be reversed. Addressing this decline requires significant changes to operating practice and technology platforms - to increase development rates, increase production rates, and reduce labour and ventilation costs. This talk describes the changes that have to be made.

 

Douglas Morrison has over 35 years of industry experience; 15 years in operations in the deep nickel-copper mines in Sudbury, and 16 years consulting internationally with Golder Associates, living and working in Australia, South America and Europe. His focus has always been on mine safety and productivity and participated in many of the early successes in introducing the current technology platforms in mines today. Since 2012 he has been the CEO of CEMI, helping to develop technologies that are essential to dramatically increase the ROI and NPV of mining projects by improving production systems, and changing mine waste management systems. Given the coming demand for greater metal production to electrify the economy, existing mines must implement autonomous mining systems to increase production at lower cost, and new mines must introduce self-sustaining, zero-impact, mine waste management systems. These changes will require a new social contract with communities around the world but also offer the possibility of integrating mining and agriculture to create a Globally Sustainable Society.

 

The Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum is the leading not-for-profit technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries. With over 120 years of history and more than 10,000 members nationally and internationally, being a member has its benefits.