Spotlight Feature Articles DINGO Internet of things Nov16 | Page 2

INTERNET OF THINGS

Bringing it
all together
The terms Big Data and Internet of Things do mean mine
wide and complex solutions but at a smaller scale they
also incorporate the smallest sensors and instruments,
reports Paul Moore

I

n a recent interview with Canada’s The Globe
and Mail, John Chambers, Executive
Chairman of Cisco and John Thornton,
Executive Chairman of Barrick Gold gave their
take on how far behind mining is in terms of
digitalisation and how they are working to
address this in partnership: “Canada was built
on its mining heritage. Today, the industry
contributes about C$54 billion a year to
Canada’s gross domestic product – a driving
force of the national economy. Yet mining lags
behind other industries in one critical aspect:
digital innovation. That shortcoming
significantly threatens the industry’s ability to
meet future demands and survive in the digital
age. By 2020, 75% of businesses will be a
digital business or preparing to become one.
Companies that fail to embrace this trend will
not survive.”
They continued: “Mining needs to reinvent
itself. The only way companies will cut costs and
increase efficiency will be to embed digital
technologies in every dimension of how mines
are operated and managed. This transformation
will require technology companies and the
mining industry to partner together in new
ways. We are already seeing such partnerships
take root. Last week, Cisco and Barrick Gold
teamed up for the digital reinvention of Barrick’s

International Mining | NOVEMBER 2016

business. Over the course of the partnership,
Barrick and Cisco will bring digital capabilities
to Barrick’s entire organisation, from its mines
around the world to Barrick’s head office in
Toronto. For instance, advanced sensing
technology and real-time operational data will
improve decision making. Equipment will be
automated for increased productivity and
worker safety. Predictive algorithms will
enhance the precision and speed of
maintenance and metallurgy. And real-time data
will provide greater transparency to local
partners, from indigenous communities to
governments. Digital technologies will enable
Barrick’s leaders to make decisions with greater
speed, precision and productivity, and will better
equip them to assess and mitigate risk. For
example, real-time data, analytics and predictive
tools will allow company leaders to work
together across the organisation. An enterprisewide analytics hub will enable performance
management and financial and operational
benchmarking. And new digital tools will
improve scenario planning and portfolio
management.”
The statement concluded: “Finally, digital
technology will improve Barrick’s environmental
and safety performance. Predictive data and
analytics will improve management of energy,

GE Predix-based applications connect mining
and minerals processing assets – collecting and
analysing data and delivering real-time insights
for optimising infrastructure and operations

water and emissions. Real-time data capture will
allow the company to be even more transparent
with, and accountable to, its local partners. And
the use of digital technology will enhance
Barrick’s permitting activities, further increasing
transparency to stakeholders. Together, these
innovations will enable Barrick to deliver better,
faster and safer mining. Here is just one metric:
Barrick expects to reduce its production costs
from approximately $800 an ounce of gold to
less than $700 on a sustainable basis – a
quantum improvement that would be
unmatched in the gold-mining industry. More
broadly, the partnership could serve as a model
for digital transformation across Canada’s
business community, which has the potential to
grow the economy and create jobs.”
Over the course of the collaboration, Barrick
and Cisco will focus on research and
development, and jointly use their networks and
expertise to drive Barrick’s digital reinvention. In
the first step of the collaboration, Barrick and
Cisco will work together to develop a flagship
digital operation at the Cortez mine in Nevada –
“embedding digital technology in every
dimension of the mine to deliver better, faster,
and safer mining. The goal at Cortez is to
redefine best-in-class mining.”

GE’s Digital Mine
At MINExpo 2016, GE Mining, a division of GE
Transportation, unveiled the Digital Mine,
described as “a suite of technologies that can
improve performance, reliability, safety and
operations. Each mine is a mini-city, requiring
power, water and transportation. Intelligent,
real-time monitoring across the mine, allows
operators to make data-driven decisions that
improve equipment reliability and optimise mine