WorldWide Drilling Resource

41 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® APRIL 2019 Industry Announcements Newmont Mining Corporation acquired Goldcorp. Inc. The definitive agreement will combine the two companies into Newmont Goldcorp with an unmatched portfolio of operations throughout the gold mining industry. Gary Goldberg, Newmont’s CEO said, “This combination will create the world’s leading gold business with the best assets, people, prospects, and value-cre- ation opportunities.” KOBELCO USA is expanding its dealer network in Canada by adding Abi-Quip, Conaker Equipment, and Les Équipements Pinso Ltée as authorized dealerships. Each dealership will provide sales, rentals, parts, and service support for KOBELCO excavators. According to Jack Fendrick, COO and vice president of KOBELCO USA, the companies are all top-notch Canadian dealerships. “We’re certain they will each be a positive addition to the KOBELCO North American network, and we look forward to lasting partnerships,” he stated. Thompson Pump & Manufacturing Co. sold its rental assets and related operations to United Rentals. The company plans to invest in, and grow, its pump manufacturing opera- tions. “This transaction allows us to focus intently on developing and manufacturing the indus- try’s best pumps and accessories,” stated Bill Thompson, company president. “We will remain one of the leading pump manufacturers in the United States and internationally by providing new and innovative product development and unparalleled customer support.” Industrial Flow Solutions completed a merger between Stancor, L.P. and BJM Pumps LLC. The companies will specialize in the design, manufacturing, sales, and service of pumping and fluid management solutions. “These two companies offer differentiated, yet complementary products and technologies that will benefit the other,” said Chris Stevens, CEO for Industrial Flow Solutions. “We look forward to bringing the strengths of both organizations to bear in the market and accelerate our ability to solve customer problems with their wastewater and pumping challenges.” A Valuable Lesson Adapted from Information by the Government of Western Australia’s Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety A blasting crew in Western Australia learned a valuable lesson last year. The crew was conducting drill and blast operations when the working pit floor collapsed into a backfilled stope, forming a sinkhole more than 40 feet deep. The cave-in swallowed up an integrated tool carrier and an explosives truck which were parked on the blast pattern. Several charged blastholes were also consumed in the sinkhole. Thankfully, no one was in the vehicles when the incident occurred. Stopes are open spaces from previous underground min- ing operations. This particular stope was backfilled in stages since 2016. A risk assessment identified the stope void as a hazard and special precautions were suggested. Assuming the stope void had been tightly filled, the decision was made to switch from the strict void management protocols recom- mended, to standard mining practices, about three months before the collapse. To complicate things further, the exact cause of the subsidence could not be determined due to poor record keeping and an uncertainty about the size and shape of the stope, as well as what fill material was used. Keeping good records of backfill, including volume cal- culations and material characteristics, along with conducting rigorous assessments of backfilled stopes is a good way to prevent this type of accident. Above all, never assume any stope is tight filled. Monitor and record any changes in underground conditions below open- cut workings. Also make sure any underground workings in active open-pit work areas are marked on all working plans. Editor’s Note: In between our print issues, the WWDR Team prepares an electronic newsletter called E-News Flash . Based on readership, this was the most popular E-News Flash article of the month. Get in on the action and subscribe today at: www.worldwidedrillingresource.com EXB