News (August 01, 2001)

C2C for soil remediation

Alliance Pipeline Ltd. has chosen environmentally progressive soil remediation technology developed by Calgary-based C2C Zeolite Corp. for its pipeline right-of-way restoration work in southeastern Saskatchewan. This decision by the continent’s largest new natural gas pipeline partnership follows breakthrough results recorded last fall when Amoco Canada successfully restored vegetation and improved overall soil quality on a portion of one of its pipelines. To date, Alliance has ordered 76 tonnes of specially formulated zeolite, produced at C2C’s mining and production facilities in Ashcroft, B.C.

C2C is developing another mining and production facility in Nova Scotia, as well.

The company’s advanced technology has proven effective for saline and sodic soils and disturbed clays where reduced capacity for nutrient and moisture retention, poor aeration and residual toxic sodium levels inhibit germination and growth. Unlike organic amendments, zeolite–an industrial mineral–does not break down following application and is able to provide permanent soil improvement.

CERM 3, a joint collaborative project, is testing the use of zeolite for minesite reclamation at the Brittania Beach mine north of Vancouver, B.C.

Gemcom acquires Australian mine optimization company

Vancouver-based Gemcom Software International Inc., which supplies information technology to the mineral exploration and mining industry, has agreed to acquire all the outstanding shares of Whittle Programming Pty. Ltd., based in Australia. Whittle specializes in optimization software for strategic planning of mining operations, with particularly strong applications for the mine design stage. With over 450 customers spread throughout six continents, Whittle Programming’s revenues for the 12 months ended June 30, 2001, were about Cdn$1.44 million.

The acquisition is expected to close in October 2001.

Exploring the benefits of satellite communications

For companies based in remote areas of Canada, reliable communication is crucial. Kennecott Exploration, a leader in mineral exploration and evaluation in North America, has found a dependable solution for its remote communication needs.

To help reduce helicopter standby costs, improve employee safety coverage, and provide better operational flexibility, Jamie McLennan, health, safety and environment co-ordinator of Kennecott Canada Exploration, decided to invest in satellite telecommunication technology. After researching the satellite products that were available, McLennan found that the Globalstar service was best suited for his organization.

“Keeping our employees safe in the field is our Number One priority, and having Globalstar satellite phones on hand in remote areas provides us with an extra sense of security,” says McLennan. Satellite telecommunications has enabled Kennecott crews to alert head office at a moment’s notice of any potential risks to the business. If there are equipment malfunctions or a safety situation arises, Kennecott crews can immediately call base camp for the necessary support, saving the company both time and money.

“The Globalstar phone has saved us thousands of dollars,” says McLennan. “For example, it helps us to cut down on lost work time as well as helicopter time. We do not put a crew out without a phone. And having the satellite and cell capability is also a great benefit because in an industry where your employees are constantly moving from one site to another, it is imperative that they have a mode of communication that is both flexible and dependable.”

Wardrop expands its mining engineering group

Most of the staff of the former Sudbury-based engineering company, BLM Engineering (BLME), has joined the Wardrop team of professionals. BLME specialized in a wide range of mining engineering services for the Canadian and international mining sector.

Wardrop has served the mining industry in Canada, the United States and overseas for over 40 years. Areas of expertise include mine site development, detailed engineering, procurement, project management and construction for milling and mineral processing facilities. The added skill sets of the 15 new staff members from BLME strengthen Wardrop’s Mining Group and open new areas of opportunity for the company.

Wardrop has over 450 employees across Canada and internationally. The company offers “The Total Solution” for the Mining Industry with Information Technology and Environmental Services complimenting its multidisciplinary Engineering expertise.

Using visualization to understand seismic data

Electrohome Ltd.’s Fakespace Systems business unit, based in Kitchener, Ont., has secured four new contracts to provide immersive displays to commercial oil and gas companies and leading universities. The company will provide visualization systems to Phillips Petroleum, Petrobras, Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Oklahoma. These include a broad range of displays that are used by geologists, geophysicists and engineers to promote collaboration and better understanding of complex data, ranging from fully-immersive room environments to depth-enhanced displays that fit in an average size conference room.

Fakespace Systems is working very closely with energy and natural resource companies to develop visualization systems that improve the efficiency and productivity of exploration teams. These systems are also applicable to mineral exploration.

The ImmersaDesk is a self-contained, fully portable, stereoscopic visualization system with integrated motion tracking and interaction devices. The conCAVE enables multidisciplinary teams to work with spatially correct, “standing in the tunnel” visualizations. The RAVE (Reconfigurable Advanced Visualization Environment) is a large-scale modular system that supports multiple viewing modalities including immersive room environments, flat wall displays and angled theatres.

ABB launches One Team Customer Focus

In July, ABB launched a One Team Customer Focus. The company is anticipating this renewed focus on providing a single-stop, total solution for customers’ industrial technology needs, will make ABB even easier to do business with, and is a vital component in the company’s strategy for sustained growth.

ABB Inc., the global technology company, is the world’s largest manufacturer of electric motors and drives. The company serves customers in manufacturing, process and consumer industries, utilities, and the oil and gas markets. Worldwide, ABB employs about 160,000 people in more than 100 countries and reported revenues of $23 billion in 2000.

Harnischfeger Industries becomes Joy Global

Harnischfeger Industries, Inc. of Milwaukee, Wis., emerged from bankruptcy court protection in mid-July as a financially and operationally healthy company under a new name, Joy Global Inc. The company is focused on the mining markets, and committed to reinforcing its strengths to be a supplier of choice. Joy Global is a worldwide leader in manufacturing, servicing and distributing equipment for surface mining through its P&H Mining Equipment division, and for underground mining through its Joy Mining Machinery division.

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