JUNE THE REDPATH GROUP’S GLOBAL NEWSLETTER · DAYAN Contract Mining is a joint venture between...

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THE REDPATH GROUP’S GLOBAL NEWSLETTERAfrica | Asia | Australia | Europe | North America | South America

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RIO TINTO’S OYU TOLGOI:BUILDING BENEATH THE GOBI

REDPATH CHILENA Positive Outlook for Mining in 2017

REDPATH AFRICA African Hole Diameter Record Matched

THE REDPATH GROUP’S GLOBAL NEWSLETTER

2017JUNE

Safety - First, Last and Always.

THE REDPATH GROUP’S GLOBAL NEWSLETTERredpathmining.com

Table of Contents

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Safety and President’s Message

Global Community

Onsite: Miner Details

Oyu Tolgoi: Building Beneath the Gobi

Safety - First, Last and Always

Through Thick and Thin: Supporting the Hard Decisions

Submit your content to be considered for inclusion in the next issue of the Advance: [email protected]

On the cover: Oyu Tolgoi’s #2 10 m diameter shaft being drilled with an eight boom Jumbo drill and mucked with a 14 ton excavator.

“Teaching accountability - If the student has not learned, the teacher hasn’t taught.”Jim Phipps - DAYAN Safety Manager - Oyu Tolgoi Underground DAYAN Contract Mining is a joint venture between Redpath Mongolia LLC and Hasu Megawatt, a company working in the energy sector of Mongolia.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

SAFETY MESSAGE

While we continue to act in the long-term interest of our company and our client’s, we generate a desire in the industry for our continuing services. The quality of our expertise in the development of not only our client’s mine, but also their employees’ minds and skill sets, ensures we maintain the demand for our services in the industry at large.Our trainees are learning that these are the right things in the right place, at the right time. This mindset epitomizes safety accountability for both ourselves and our client.

“This ‘can do’ Redpath spirit of innovation and continuous improvement is allowing us to get better at everything that we do.”George Flumerfelt, President and CEO The Redpath Group

DAYAN’s job at Oyu Tolgoi is to complete a defined scope of work in a specified time frame, while simultaneously developing a workforce that is capable of continuing the operation once the construction has been completed.As leaders and professionals in the mining and construction industry, our legacy must reflect our values; Safety - First, Last and Always. What we leave in Mongolia is just as important as what we portray while we are present. We strive to achieve the highest quality workmanship possible at all times. This quality is what keeps us ahead of the competition in a fierce market.

As I travel throughout the Redpath world, I become more impressed at the things that are happening at Redpath. We are winning new work in all markets, operating safely and profitably, and delivering quality service to our clients. As I leafed through an advance copy of this issue of the ‘Advance’, my reaction was “Wow!” The projects we are taking on, the tremendous geographical diversification of our work, the technical complexity of the things we do... amaze me and fill me with a great sense of pride. From great start-ups such as the one at the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia, to the massive underground excavations we are making in Indonesia, the new Redbore drills we are bringing to market, and the countless innovations Redpath employees come up with in all areas of our business from administration to field operations, are enabling Redpath to remain at the Safety - First, Last and Always.

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forefront of the global mining contracting industry. This ‘can do’ Redpath spirit of innovation and continuous improvement is allowing us to get better at everything that we do.I’d like to give a special ‘shout out’ to our commercial people in all of our business units. This is an under-appreciated, hard working group who negotiate all of the contractual arrangements with our clients. Over the past couple of years, mining companies have been very demanding with respect to contractual conditions and I have been very impressed with how all our commercial staff have responded to ensure the best possible terms have been agreed. Well done everyone!I have often been asked why I love working at Redpath. My answer has always been the same. The business (continued on page 16)

redpathmining.com 2017JUNE

Redpath’s South African office partnered with the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM) to host the third annual Young Mining Professionals Conference. The conference, which took place March 9 and 10th in Pretoria, offered young mining professionals the opportunity to interact with peers and industry leaders on the topic of innovation and unlocking the future of the African mining industry.

Graham Roberts, General Manager - Projects/Tendering, had the opportunity to present one of Redpath’s latest innovations, the Redtrax raise drill transporter. Graham shared the floor with a number of other well-respected leaders

from within the African mining industry, who presented on topics including:

• Alleviating graduate unemployment in the mining sector

• The effects of social and technological innovation on leadership

• Innovative initiatives for improving energy efficiency of truck and shovel systems

• Digital technology in South African mining.

The conference was an excellent opportunity to share Redpath’s innovations with a captive audience.

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MINING SUPERINTENDENT RECOGNIZED FOR EXEMPLARY WORK Uurintsolmon Erdenebileg (Solmon) was recently recognized for becoming the first National Underground Mining Superintendent at Oyu Tolgoi, in Mongolia.

Solmon has over 10 years service with the project and has progressed from Trainee Shaft Miner, Development Miner, Shiftboss and Captain to Mine Superintendent.

His contribution in developing the National workforce has been immense, he is a great role model for the underground work force.

Graham Roberts, General Manager - Projects/Tendering, presents on the Redtrax raise drill transporter.

Encouraging African Youth in Mining

Redpath Africa Hosts Annual Hunting Excursion

(L-R): Bongani Ngubane, Senior Estimator; Tjaart Kleu, IT Business Analyst; Chris Snyman, Redpath Coordinator; Tim Broom, Commercial Assistant; Pieter Wolfaardt, General Manager, Engineering; Michael Welsch, Farm Owner; Bennie Burger, General Manager, Mining; Tok Bester, General Manager, Sinking; Adriaan Louw, Professional Field Tracker and Game Ranger; Francois Huyser, Contract Manager; Ockert Douglas, Managing Director; Johan Mostert, SHEQT Executive; Sampie Marais, Project Manager, Raiseboring; Davlin Richardson, Business Infrastructure and Marketing Executive and Johan von Brandis, Farm Foreman.

Sunny skies, starry nights, camp fires, a professional field tracker and game ranger made for yet another successful Redpath Mining South Africa hunting getaway, held at Honeymoon Farm (near Thabazimbi) May, 2017.

Uurintsolmon Erdenebileg (Solmon) dons his new copper hard hat as he stands between Andy McParland, Senior Manager, Shafts (left) and Craig Stegman, Vice President - Growth and Innovation Copper Group, Rio Tinto (right).


Operations at Oyu Tolgoi Make a Positive ImpressionAndy McParland, Senior Manager, Shafts, escorted Andy Curtis, Lateral Development Superintendent for Rio Tinto and Craig Stegman, Senior Vice President of the Growth and Innovation Copper Group for Rio Tinto, on an

underground tour of operations at Oyu Tolgoi.

Ramp road works were ongoing with the run of mine material available and a new discharge line completed. All gear was clean and tidy, helped by the introduction of a new wash bay. One comment of interest from Mr. Stegman, was that the project has the best safety record across all Rio Tinto operations.

Additionally, Redpath Mongolia LLC has been nominated as one of the Top 100 business entities

in Mongolia.

Both the Mongolian government and the national chamber of commerce made the announcement in May 2017.

Here is the breakdown of how Redpath Mongolia LLC ranks among the top 100:

35th of the top 100 best entities

Tax paying: 35th

Income: 42nd

Employee number: 20th

Revenue: 27th

Property: 78th

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In February of this year, Redpath Australia transitioned its travel management bookings and payment processes to the Redpath global travel management platform managed by American Express.

Largely speaking, the front end process of booking travel has not changed, however careful process mapping was conducted across the payment side. Redpath Australia has embraced Amex credit accounts, a “form of payment” solution for airfare charges, accommodation and travel management fees. The key distinction is Redpath Australia receives charges directly from the suppliers of travel (such as Qantas and Virgin), which differs from previous where the invoice came from the travel management company. This approach will provide Redpath Australia with complete transparency of charges.

To ensure the smooth transition, a project team was put together with Andrew Evans, CFO and Susi Bostock, Redpath Holdings Australian-based Global Travel Manager, leading the charge as well as key project leads from American Express including our Travel Account Manager, Adam Purdy. Once the solution design was agreed upon, implementation commenced and the Amex Redpath Account was configured which included hand selection of travel consultants to suit our business. During this phase, communication and training sessions with all travel arrangers across the country were also conducted. The final stage was to undergo testing, to ensure that when the company went live with Amex, there were no show-stopping surprises or unforeseen impacts, disrupting business operations. This was a critical factor given our business relies on getting our employees to and from project sites.

From a global perspective, this is a major achievement for Redpath and Amex in a move towards complete global consolidation on the travel management front. Given that the nature of the mining business relies so heavily on travel, several new global initiatives can commence, which will cascade benefits to Australia.

Thanks to the project team: Andrew Evans, RK Makkoth, Bianca Millard, Susi Bostock and the teams at American Express.

Redpath Australia On-boards Amex Global Travel Program

Adam Purdy, Amex Travel Account Manager, pictured with Jessica Sturlese, a travel arranger for Redpath Australia.


Redpath Rocks the Big Bike for Heart & StrokeThe ‘Redpath Rockers’ raised a total of $12,543 for the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation by riding a 28-seat bicycle through the downtown core of North Bay, Ontario, Canada.

The team was the Top Fundraising Team in the city, and also captured the Spirit Award. Thanks to their contribution, North Bay will be looking at a grand total of approximately $67,000 in donations to the foundation this year!

These funds will go towards Heart & Stroke mission projects, like health education/awareness, rehabilitation practices and programs for survivors and families, advocacy efforts, and medical research breakthroughs. Thank you to everyone who donated, and to those who took time out of their day to ride the Big Bike!

Contract Services Team Escapes from the Ordinary

The Contract Services team from the North Bay office participated in a team-building day full of engaging activities in mid-May. The day started off with a nice meal at the White Owl Bistro, then moved to a tour of Atlas Copco.

The team enjoyed a tour of the manufacturing and quality control areas at Atlas Copco, including an educational presentation and observation of destructive testing on Swellex rock bolts. The group was keen to observe the craftsmanship that goes into building the drill rods and bits that make mine development possible.

The next stop was North Bay Escape rooms, where the team was challenged to find their way out of a locked room by solving riddles in a timed environment. The tasks

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were enhanced by team-building elements which could either help or hinder the results. The group was divided into various teams for the activity, and the winning team was one aptly named ‘The Office’. Other team / room names included FBI, Dracula’s Castle and the Legend of the Nile. The day came to a close with an awards ceremony and dinner held at The Moose Cookhouse.

Mining in South America has a Positive Outlook for 2017(This article has been translated and paraphrased from its original version in Minería Chilena’s March 2017 issue. The original article is available in Spanish, online at: http://www.mch.cl/entrevistas/marcel-leclair-gerente-raisebore-sudamerica-los-programas-mineros-se-estan-reactivando/)

Redpath Mining Chilena projects a positive outlook for 2017, taking into account the increased demand from its customers. Knowledge, experience and work with major companies is allowing suppliers in the mining industry, like Redpath, to take a realistic look at the current situation and visualize future opportunities.

This is the case for The Redpath Group, which has been operating in Chile since 1982, and in 1995 established its South American office in Santiago, Chile, to expand its offering of mining infrastructure products and services in the region. The raiseboring division of The Redpath Group focuses on the execution of a variety of drilling programs, through specialized equipment and services. In Chile, its main customers are the various divisions of Codelco.

Marcel Leclair, Raisebore Manager, South America, comments that during the last quarter of 2016, and so far in 2017, he sees positive signs in the industry; “The activity in mining programs is restarting and there is high interest to reduce delays in specific programs.”

He continues that, in line with the upward trend in the price of copper on the international market, 2017 looks to be more profitable, especially as a result of the replacement of projects related to the increase in production.

Regional Projection

With regard to the company’s presence in the region, Leclair maintains that the markets of Argentina, Peru and Colombia are a priority, due to demands for equipment and services for the development of projects in its mining industries. In the specific case of Argentina, Leclair values the economic landscape which is conducive to the arrival of foreign investment; “We see solid opportunity, given the specialized work we do for mining projects”, he points out. He also recognizes the measures of the Argentine government to simplify foreign trade operations, which have traditionally had a high degree of complexity in their procedures.

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redpathmining.com 2017JUNE 7

Redpath Earns Platinum Group Metals’ Maseve Mine Work Redpath Mining South Africa will be providing bord and pillar mining, hybrid mechanised mining and ore transport (from Block 11) to Platinum Group Metals’ Maseve Mine, located in the Western Bushveld (North West Province) of South Africa.

The changeover to Redpath as the principal mining contractor at Maseve was undertaken in November 2016 and into early January 2017. The operational and administrative changeover is now well advanced.

Installation, operation and maintenance of a one kilometer conveyor towards Block 11, linking into underground silos and the existing 1.4 km conveyor to surface and the 1.7 km conveyor system into the mill is also planned.

Redpath has successfully been providing efficient long hole mining services to Blocks 9 and 12 since June of 2016.

Redpath Africa Equals Record for Largest-Diameter HoleRedpath Mining (South Africa) was awarded a contract for two ventilation shafts by Sasol at its Impumelelo Mine. The scope of work included piloting and reaming of two 186 m x Ø7.3 m ventilation shafts and lining both shafts by means of a Remote Shaft Liner. The first shaft is the Up Cast Shaft and the second will be the Down Cast Shaft.

Impumelelo Mine consists of an area of approximately 21,000 hectares in size. Coal is mined from the site, utilising a combination of underground mining methods (bord and pillar, and high extraction / stooping). Sasol Mining has been mining coal in the Secunda area for more than 30 years. The main purpose of Sasol Mining’s Secunda operations is to supply coal to Sasol Synfuels, which utilises various processes and beneficiates the coal into a number of products such as petrol, diesel, plastics and various chemicals.

A Redbore 90EX deployed by Redpath Mining (South Africa) at Sasol’s Impumelelo Mine completed the reaming phase of a 7.3 m diameter hole in April 2017, equalling the African record for the largest-diameter hole reamed to date, in Africa.

“The reaming performance of the Redbore 90EX surpassed our expectations.” commented Redpath Mining (South Africa) General Manager of Raiseboring, Johan Davel. “We had a slow start initially, as it was during the Christmas period, however we caught up significantly during the reaming portion of the project. Achieving optimal accuracy was critical, as we were drilling inside pre-installed spiles that may not have been intersected. We are very proud of our safety performance so far. As of June 2017, the project is 114 days injury and LTI-free.” Davel adds. The Redpath site management team is comprised of Project Manager, Werner Schwartz; Site Manager, Francois von Landsberg; Site Foreman, Danie Kruger; and Safety Officer, Bianca von Landsberg. The highly-skilled operators on the project have at least 15 years’ experience in large-diameter drilling.

Mobilisation commenced in December 2016, with the pilot for the first shaft started in early January 2017. The pilot hole was directional-drilled, using the Rotary Vertical Drilling System (RVDS), down to a depth of 82 m, where… (continued on page 10)

THE REDPATH GROUP’S GLOBAL NEWSLETTERredpathmining.com8

Contributors: Andy McParland, Project Manager; Mark Caissey, Senior Project Engineer; Micheline Poulin, Project Controls; Nasandelger Namkhai, Project Controls

Back in December 2015, Redpath mobilized a construction readiness team with a primary focus on restoring or upgrading various mining support infrastructures. This was in preparation for the restart of underground development activities after a three year shut-down. In order to ensure a safe and efficient start-up, a variety of tasks geared toward rehabilitation were undertaken to bring all equipment and work environments to working order.

In order to resume Shaft #2 and Shaft #5 sinking activities, the Shaft #2 headframe underwent a complete safety and structural renovation. The main activities included welding all decking and various other structural areas, replacing structural bolts (all 23,000 of them!), hand rails, stairs, monorails and a comprehensive electrical upgrade. In a similar fashion, the Shaft #5 headframe received electrical upgrades and structural inspection including the re-torquing of all structural bolts.

RIO TINTO’S OYU TOLGOI: BUILDING BENEATH Project Name: Oyu Tolgoi mine

Project Location: Khan Bogd soum, Umnugobi, Mongolia

Manpower Requirement: (Joint Venture) Redpath Mongolia and HASU Megawatt = Dayan Contract Mining (DCM)

Underground Project Dayan Shaft #1; total employees 794 (117 Expats, 677 Nationals)

Dayan Shaft #2; total employees 198 (46 Expats and 152 Nationals)

Dayan Shaft #5; total employees 136 (36 Expats and 100 Nationals)

Grand total of employees on all three shafts: 1,128 (199 Expats and 929 Nationals)

Duration: Redpath Mongolia has been on site since 2004; the Dayan joint venture started in August 2016

Project Scope: There are three separate work scopes that DCM is currently involved in: • Sinking Shaft #2 and Shaft #5 • Underground Development Services (UDS) • Mine Support Services (MSS)

THE GOBI

The daunting task of slinging underground mining gear, safety and construction equipment down the shaft was completed with a great deal of attention to detail.


In preparation for an underground development restart, initial efforts were spent upgrading the temporary crusher. It received safety upgrades to guarding, walkways, stairs and structural upgrades to the feeder, loading bin and discharge conveyor.

The high-voltage upgrade commissioning was managed by the Mining Support Services Electrical work group for completion, with additional support from the previous Underground Construction Support Services electrical personnel. Fire and service water piping installation is currently approximately 45% complete. This work was coordinated with numerous work groups during shutdowns / preventative maintenance, to ensure it was completed most efficiently. Additional activities moving forward include the construction or renovation of various refuge stations, sumps, and offices.

Some of the challenges overcome on this project relate to the sheer scale of the workload and of course, the remote location of the mine site. With such a large number of workers required in a short time period, exceptional organization and management was required to make the project start-up successful. Rapid mobilization of over 600 crew members to Shaft #1, from all continents and walks of life,

Project Highlights• The vast majority of existing employees were rehired

• A tremendous volume of training was undertaken, completed by all crews and supervisory staff

• The safety culture on site has continually improved after being bolstered by several safety- focused events

• Performance and quality standards have been met or exceeded consistently month after month

• Successful completion of the mass excavation scope at the 1202 station

• Shaft #2 broke through to the underground construction area of Shaft #1

• Management of a large-scale collaboration involving more than 50 contractors on site, ranging from a wide variety of continents, languages and cultures has produced high quality, safe work

unveiled hurdles with foreign work documentation, logistics, language barriers and cultural differences. Despite these obstacles, training requirements were met, and an initial goal of 990 meters of advance was beaten when 1,123.7 equivalent meters was reached. During this time, manpower was ramped up and trained using a variety of safety and leadership programs. The training team did an efficient and thorough job, having run over 3,552 courses and reaching more 29,851 total man hours of by the end of November 2016.

A slight encumbrance to the project, is the remote location of the mine site. Being approximately 235 kilometers (146 mi) east of the Umnigobi capital Dalanzadgad, 550 kilometers south of the capital Ulaanbaatar, and 80 kilometers north of the Mongolia-China border hindered the mobilization teams bringing equipment, material, and workforce on site. While remote locations aren’t unfamiliar to Redpath, managing the mobilization alongside crews that were being refreshed on a newly-restarted project, certainly ensured all crews were kept operating at their full capacity!

Some of the national workers were mentored by experienced Redpath expatriate workers to help strengthen their proficiency with working underground. Currently, there are 24 national supervisors and superintendents on the Shaft #1 project.

Improving the project safety culture has raised the general safety standards significantly, not solely in the mining industry, but across the entire country. In conjunction with Oyu Tolgoi, newly-hired crew members were introduced to systems, techniques, and tools, encouraging safety accountability along the way. Risk Assessments, safe work procedures and safety committees were fresh concepts for the new crew members. The project gets safer and more efficient as knowledge and understanding continue to spread. National and expatriate workers alike are extremely proud to be a part of this exceptional project.

One significant highlight in the project occurred in January 2008, when the deepest shaft in Mongolia reached a depth of 1,385 m.

THE REDPATH GROUP’S GLOBAL NEWSLETTERredpathmining.com10

(continued from page 7) …conventional piloting continued until breakthrough on January 28th. Once the reamer chamber was prepared, reaming began in February. The reamer was designed jointly by Redpath and Atlas Copco.

Currently the Redbore 90EX is being mobilised to the Down Cast Shaft, while the Remote Shaft Liner is being set up at the Up Cast Shaft. Shaft lining will be carried out by spraying a 100 mm thick, 30 MPa fibrecrete lining onto the sidewall of the reamed hole for reinforcement. This task will be carried out via a remote-controlled unit from the surface down the hole.

Redpath recognises the importance of up-skilling and participating in the Social Development Plan and therefore recruited raisebore assistants from local communities. Although these new assistants had no prior raiseboring experience or exposure, appropriate training and assessments on all aspects of the raiseboring before and during the project were carried out to ensure the highest level of work quality and safety.

First Redbore 60UR Heads for South American Project

Things are never quiet at the 4560 Shop Complex in North Bay. An ever-present flurry of activity is visible inside and outside the buildings; equipment is moved around the grounds; containers are filled with materials for site, and if you’re lucky, you just might catch a glimpse of the latest and greatest raise drill being loaded atop a flatbed. In this instance, it was the first Redbore 60UR being prepared for its journey to an upreaming project in South America.

With its imposing stature and meticulous organization of cables, hoses and connectors, the drill certainly makes a great impression. Quality and craftsmanship are evident from top to bottom. Following the drill to Chile, is the Redtrax 60 raise

drill transporter, designed specifically to transport the drill in an upright position and compensate for the deflector’s added height.

Grasberg Block Cave Mine Enjoys Period of High Productivity and Growth The first five months of 2017 proved to be a period of excellent productivity and accomplishment for Redpath’s Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) team at PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI). Adjustment to the new mining plan was made to accommodate fluctuating manpower numbers due to contract negotiations between PTFI and

The reamer breaks through on site at Impumelelo.

The Redbore 60UR is carefully wrapped and loaded on to a flatbed to begin its journey to South America.


the Government of Indonesia. At this stage, the GBC project is scheduled for the first undercutting in September 2018. The estimated diluted ore reserves are about one billion tonnes at a grade of 0.98% copper and 0.77 g/t gold, representing payable metal of about 18.7 billion pounds of copper and 16.3 million ounces of gold.

Year to date, the lateral development group has achieved +9,500 m between GBC 1, 2, and 3.

GBC 1 led by Al Gray, Superintendent, and Johanes OP, National General Foreman, is undertaking the excavation of the ventilation, service, haulage,

drainage and conveyor drifts. In the second quarter, the team has successfully handed over the 614/618 – 613 transfer mass excavation – which is the most challenging mass excavation that Redpath has built on site to date. Many other mass excavations are in various stages of progression, including the chute galleries and unloading station chamber, handled by the GBC 1 team. Infrastructure for the GBC mine is progressing well under the helm of the client’s construction group.

The production footprint is the main focus of GBC development this year, in order to facilitate reaching the scheduled production startup. Suradi, Paul Maher and National General Foreman, Imam Supomo, are leading the GBC 2 group which is focused on the extraction level. Year to date, 14 panel drifts and more than 30 drawpoints have been excavated, as per the forecasted plan. In order to achieve minimum overbreak and greater blasting efficiency, eDev (electronic detonator) single shot blasting has been applied for every blast on this level. This innovation has resulted in a great deal of success.

The Undercut level is the main work area for GBC 3 group led by Rob Cruz, Neil Reynolds, and National Foreman, Piters Ronsumbre. The group has achieved the priority heading goals in the Slot Drift and Drill Drift of production blocks 1 and 2, while facing the challenging pyrite and soft zone area. The scope of work for Redpath at the GBC will also be expanded to drawpoint construction and grizzly installation.

The vertical development group – Mechanized Raise Climbing (MRC) and Raiseboring are also playing a key role in Redpath’s success story at the GBC. These groups provide critically important ventilation raises, drain holes and ore/waste passes so that the lateral development group can reach greater efficiency and performance.

GBC crew pose at the 601 Main Conveyor (L-R): Angga Saputra, Dave Capstick, Suradi, Rob Cruz, Al Gray and Rizki Saputra.

Detonator scanning in one of the footprint headings.

As beautiful as it is functional, the 601 Transfer construction is progressing well.

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By assisting with many functions in and around the GBC to keep things running as smoothly as possible, praise should be given to the Engineering group; Dave Capstick and Rizki Saputra, the Electrical group; Ashley Giblett and Rudi Sitorus, and the MCM group; Erwin Hutagalung, Roni Assac, Kardi Pakpahan and Daud Krar. Their tireless effort continues to help manage the challenging ebb and flow of development. While handling the challenges and maintaining excellent safety performance, PTRI’s GBC group under Shaun Vasi’s leadership is committed to bring the GBC mine online as per schedule.

In a world where innovation and continuous improvement makes the difference between great work and good work, being second best just isn’t an option for Redpath.

Whenan Shaft Rehabilitation Project Begins to Take ShapeIn Australia, the Redpath Whenan Shaft Project team commenced mobilisation to the BHP Billiton Olympic Dam site at the end of January 2017. Several members of the management team arrived early to site to complete inductions and training, which has allowed the work crews and other project members to step into place,

including the arrival of our office complex, energising buildings, establishing laydown areas and taking possession of the existing site and workshop.

Crews are currently being recruited and mobilised to site for induction and training. Engineering, Safety and Operations are busily preparing the documentation required for the complex and challenging task ahead of de-constructing the existing shaft and preparing it to be relined with a new concrete liner and then installing a new set of shaft furnishings.

The project has engaged a number of Canadian and North American expats to provide their valuable assistance, knowledge and expertise for this project including local Redpath personnel. The Engineering team from Canada is heavily engaged in providing the design documentation of the equipment and plant required for this challenging project.

The Project is expected to be delivered in 24 months, with a six month period for the design, installation, commissioning and mobilisation phase. The project involves the refurbishment of the 35 year old rectangular Whenan shaft including demolition of the existing steel shaft furnishings, strata control, concrete lining and installation of the new shaft steel and guide system.

Oyu Tolgoi’s Shaft #5 Reaches New Depths

A new milestone was reached for the crews at Shaft #5 at Rio Tinto’s Oyu Tolgoi project recently, when the main ventilation shaft reached 502.9 m deep. The 6.75 m diameter shaft will have a total depth of 1,195 m once completed. Congratulations to all members of the crew for reaching this important milestone!

The head frame currently on site is scheduled to be demolished.

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“Unlike Canadian shaft projects, we don’t have any Caribou here. We do, however have local Australian wildlife visiting our collar.” - Mike Glogger, Chief Engineer.


Redpath Chilena puts Safety First, Last and Always

Redpath’s South American Raisebore Division managed by Marcel Leclair, was the recipient of an unannounced safety inspection by representatives from Chile’s Ministry of Mining (SERNAGEOMIN) recently. The Redbore 50X raise drill is currently setup at Codelco’s El Salvador site to complete a blindhole passage. The site was in excellent condition and the crew were congratulated for their knowledge on the work being performed at the time of the inspection. The high level of understanding of the risks relating to their jobs and which safety precautions were to be taken to mitigate those risks was also commended. Congratulations to Marcel and the crew for keeping safety top of mind.

Redpath Africa Celebrates One Million Fatality-Free ShiftsCongratulations to all Redpath Mining Africa employees on achieving 1,000,000 Fatality Free Shifts, as of March 29th, 2017. Redpath Mining Africa Operations Director, Lawrence Schultz, notes that this is a significant milestone on Africa’s journey towards safe operations and its quest for ZERO harm.

Making Training More Efficient with a 3D Shotcrete Simulator ProgramRedpath Australia has teamed up with Edvirt®, a simulation and training company, in the pursuit of quality when it comes to sprayed shotcrete.

Redpath shotcrete operators and trainers have completed an intensive 4-day competency-based, 3D simulated, sprayed shotcrete operator training course at Redpath’s Eagle Farm facilities. The course is designed to enhance an operator’s skills and knowledge around the safe application of shotcrete, in a way that minimizes material wastage and improves the quality of the shotcrete lining in the underground environment. A shotcrete operator’s skill level can dictate the difference between a successful and unsuccessful outcome, and plays an integral role in the reliability and safety involved in the mining ground support process.

This group will play an central role in the ongoing training of current and new operators over the coming 12 months, as Redpath Australia rolls out additional operators through the course in the pursuit of continual improvement.

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Redpath Takes Top Honour with OMCSA Innovation AwardThe Ontario Mine Contractor Safety Association (OMCSA) has presented Redpath Australia Pty Limited with the 2017 Worker Safety Innovation Award for the SAFE STOP Anti-Jam Door Unit which prevents a worker from crushing his or her hand in a door jam on mobile equipment.

In a typical working shift, a mobile equipment operator may open and close a cabin door 15 - 20 times a shift increasing the potential for an incident occurring. Mobile equipment parked on steep angles and gradients can also contribute to cabin doors closing prematurely without notice, resulting in potential for crush injuries to hands and fingers. A typical door can weigh up to 40 kg, and unrestrained, can close quickly with maximum force.

The Redpath engineering team were tasked with investigating options to mitigate or even eliminate the potential for future reoccurrence of door jam-related crush injuries. The solution needed to be robust enough to meet the challenges of a repetitive opening and closing action of a heavy equipment door and the harsh environmental condition of the underground mining environment (mud, water, corrosion, etc.).

The initial idea was derived from similar plastic products used for cupboard doors, which prevent children from having their fingers caught when the door closes. After a number of designs and prototypes, the SAFE STOP Anti-Jam Door Unit was commissioned for a trial on the fleet of Jacon Spray rigs over a period of three months in the underground environment. The trial proved a success, with identifiable opportunities to improve the durability and service life of the mechanism. A further trial has now resulted in the SAFE STOP Anti-Jam Door Unit being retrofitted for trials across the Redpath fleet.

Chris Betsill, Manager, HSE for J.S. Redpath Limited (left), accepts the Moran Group Globe Award on behalf of Redpath Australia, from Dennis Sobey, HSEC Manager at DMC Mining Services, (and fellow member of the Board of Directors for the OMCSA), during the 2017 Workplace Safety North Conference.

Potential Crush Zone in the cabin door jam area when operator closes the door from inside the cab.

A front-on view of the unit fitted to inside of the Maxijet cabin.

A top-down view of the unit in place.

Operators have a tendency to position their hands on the cabin pillar when exiting the cabin, creating a potential crush hazard when the door self-closes, due to the machine being positioned on an angle or gradient in the underground environment. This device prevents the door from slamming against the jam and protects the operator’s hands and fingers.

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Klondex Mines Ltd. contracted J.S. Redpath Corporation to complete two raises at the Fire Creek project in Nevada, United States, in January 2017. In April, some issues with ground integrity were discovered.The first raise from surface reached a depth of 400’ (122 m) with an 8’ (2.4 m) diameter and was the level at which the second raise was begun, to a depth of 150’ (46 m), and 10’ (3 m) diameter. It was with the second raise that a situation with caving ground was encountered, and safety measures were initiated. Core samples and a complete grout curtain were completed for the top 300’ (91 m) of the first raise, after which the pilot hole on the second raise was completed safely. Once the reaming cycle had begun, crews followed the standard procedure for inspecting the breakthrough three times during the each shift. It was noted that more muck than expected was being expelled from the raise when the reamer encroached on the 130’ (40 m) level. The day crew had inspected the bottom of the raise at the beginning of the shift and it had been mucked out to the proper level. Once reaming for the shift had commenced, the crew found the breakthrough to be completely full after only reaming 6’ (1.8 m), during their second inspection. All drilling operations were halted and the client was notified.

With the client’s agreement, mucking the breakthrough of the raise continued for the next two days and removed more than 1,000 yards (944.4 m) of muck. Once the raise stopped running, the crew was instructed to continue reaming. Unfortunately, upon returning to the drill, it was discovered that the reamer would no longer rotate and could only move 2’ (0.6 m) vertically in either direction. Over the course of the following days, Redpath assisted in drilling 4” (10 cm) and 6” (15 cm) holes from the drill site down into the raise, to review the area using a remote camera. A blockage was discovered approximately halfway down the raise, and it was clear that the left side at the top of the raise had collapsed. Procedures were written and agreed to by the client and Redpath, to attempt to release the blockage and allow the reamer to travel down the raise to be removed. The drill holes were monitored as the collapse of the raise progressed, and attempts to move the reamer continued. It was soon noted that additional areas around the top left side of the raise had began to collapse, but it was evident that the ground beneath the drill pad remained stable. The following day, a joint decision was made to remove the drill and hold the reamer in place on the drill pad. The following night shift (when no Redpath crews were on site), the client’s shift boss noticed that

a large amount of material had come down to the bottom of the raise. The drill holes and site were evaluated, and it was discovered that the back left rib of the drill site had started to collapse under the drill pad. The reamer was still suspended in the raise and the drill beams were in the drill site. Proper procedures including a field-level risk assessment were completed to remove the drill beams from the site using a telescopic forklift and basket. The beams were successfully removed and demobilization commenced.

Following the removal of all gear, the back left corner of the drill site continued to collapse. The client then drilled off the drill pad and shot the pad out, expecting to have the reamer travel to the bottom of the raise. However, the reamer fell into a void that was off to the left of the raise. The area was then completely backfilled with cemented aggregate.During the event, everyone involved conducted themselves in a professional manner. The lines of communication remained open and transparent and the health and safety of personnel and the project remained in top priority. Despite the struggles that were faced, the client was extremely impressed with the teamwork, safe procedures and clear communication that was exhibited. Two weeks after this event, Redpath was selected as the sole contractor for an additional 1,000’ (944.4 m) of raises for the balance of 2017.

THROUGH THICK AND THIN: SUPPORTING THE HARD DECISIONS

Over 1,000 yards (944.4 m) of material was removed

after the initial run began.

Mat Perkins, Area Superintendent, USA Raiseboring, showed courageous leadership in safety, followed procedures, and worked closely with the client to offer support and assistance in selecting the best path to mitigate risk.

The face and left rib areas begin their collapse. The raise is monitored via drill holes at the back.


Stay in touch!The Advance is published three times per calendar year, but there’s no need to wait until the next issue for the latest news from Redpath! Our social media channels and website are populated with career opportunities, project achievements and interesting trivia. Follow us, ‘like’ us and stay connected!

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Global manpower count as of May 31st 2017

6,339

Safety - First, Last and Always.

Millions of Hours Worked by Region | January - April 2017

[email protected]

@TheRedpathGroup

The Redpath Group

facebook.com/The Redpath Group

(President’s Message continued from page 2) is exciting, always changing, what we do is important, and we are reliant on ourselves. Our people are given new and different challenges and respond positively time after time. I love the ‘Redpath Spirit’, the constant innovation, the desire to improve, the adventure and the determination to be the best. Redpath today is different from the Redpath of 10 or 20 or 30 years ago, and Redpath will be different in the future as we adapt to the tremendous technological revolution that is starting to hit the mining industry. But I am completely confident that the ‘Redpath Spirit’ will endure and I look to the future with great optimism in continuing this exciting journey with all of you.

A glance into the industrious world of operations with J.S. Redpath Corporation. Both images are from Coeur Mining’s Kensington project in Alaska, United States.

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