Vale – Page 81 – Republic of Mining

Investigation continues at [Sudbury’s] Creighton Mine [seismic event] – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – November 28, 2011)

November 28, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Vale officials are expected to continue assessing the damage to Creighton Mine this week after a 3.2-magnitude seismic event that occurred about noon Friday. No employees were injured and were all immediately accounted for in refuge stations shortly after the event, said Vale spokeswoman Angie Robson.

Before releasing personnel from those refuge stations, affected areas were cleared for seismicity, according to Vale’s emergency protocol, Robson said Saturday. Employees who were working at the 7,200-level or lower did not return to surface until about 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Activity is being restricted below the 7,200-foot level and activity at the mine’s 6,800- foot level and above is continuing as usual, said Robson. Creighton has been mined for 100 years or more, said retired health and safety activist Homer Seguin.

Clean air project sparks interest – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – November 23, 2011)

November 23, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

A computer game called Minecraft, in which players place blocks to build anything you can imagine, has piqued the interest of a Grade 8 student who now wants to be a miner when he grows up.

Brian Lepage, 13, was part of a group of students from Copper Cliff Public School who attended the annual open house of Vale Ltd. at the Copper Cliff Club on Tuesday. Lepage said he has always been interested in minerals and mining so he loves the game and wants to have a career in the mining field.

He was excited about attending the mining giant’s community event. “I’ve found a couple of minerals myself,” said Lepage, “pyrite and silver or copper.” The teenager said he’s “one of those people” who wants to see how gold, nickel and other minerals are mined.

Lepage was among dozens of area residents expected to attend the open house. Last year’s open house attracted 150 visitors and Vale spokeswoman Angie Robson said the company was expecting more to attend this year.

NEWS RELEASE: Vale proposes Executive Board reorganization to the Board of Directors

November 23, 2011November 22, 2011

www.republicofmining.com

11/21/2011

On November, 24, Vale’s CEO Murilo Ferreira will submit to the Board of Directors a proposal for a new structure of the company’s Executive Board. This restructuring seeks to establish an operational model with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for each business unit.

Under this new model, each executive director will be responsible for Planning, New Business Development, Operations and Marketing & Sales. This model will help us reach our growth goals and consolidate our business, with the aim of further strengthening the company.

The composition of the new Executive Board, once approved by the Board of Directors, will be as follows:

Fertilizers and Coal – Eduardo Bartolomeo
Iron Ore and Strategy – José Carlos Martins
Logistics and Exploration – Humberto Freitas
Base Metals and IT – Peter Poppinga
Capital Projects Implementation – Galib Chaim
Finance – Tito Martins
HR, Health & Safety, Sustainability and Energy – Vania Somavilla

Brazil’s Long Shadow Vexes Some Neighbors – by Simon Romero (New York Times – November 4, 2011)

November 13, 2011

http://www.nytimes.com/

LA PAZ, Bolivia — Sandal-clad indigenous protesters have excoriated their president, calling him a “lackey of Brazil.” Angry demonstrations in front of Brazil’s embassy here denounced its “imperialist” tendencies. Bolivian intellectuals lambasted the “São Paulo bourgeoisie,” likening them to the slave hunters who expanded the boundaries of colonial Brazil.

Such heated words used to be reserved for the United States, which has wielded extraordinary influence across Latin America. But as American dominance in the region recedes and Brazil increasingly flexes its newfound political and economic might, it has begun to experience the pitfalls of the role as well: a pushback against the hemisphere’s rising power.

“Power has shifted from one side of Avenida Arce to the other,” said Fernando Molina, a local newspaper columnist, referring to the street in La Paz where the Brazilian ambassador’s residence sits opposite the towering embassy of the United States.

Brazilian endeavors are being met with wariness in several countries.

Truth time on Thompson, Manitoba smelter and refinery – Editorial (Thompson Citizen – October 26, 2011)

October 28, 2011

The Thompson Citizen, which was established in June 1960, covers the City of Thompson and Nickel Belt Region of Northern Manitoba. The city has a population of about 13,500 residents while the regional population is more than 40,000. editor@thompsoncitizen.net

It’s time for all the parties or stakeholders to tell the truth about Vale’s plan, announced almost a year ago, to close the Thompson refinery and smelter in 2015. And the truth is the smelter and refinery is closing. Vale has been consistent in their position on this since the day they made the bombshell announcement last Nov. 17.

You don’t have to like that piece of bad news delivered by Tito Martins, chief executive officer of Vale Canada in Toronto and executive director of base metals for the Brazilian parent company, or for that matter you don’t have to like Martins’ direct style or Martins’ himself even. That’s OK.

But you have to give credit where credit is due and Tito Martins has been nothing but a straight shooter on the company’s position on closing the smelter and refinery. He’s told people involved privately what he’s said publicly. And just in case anyone didn’t get the message Nov. 17, 2010 he reiterated it in person Jan. 26 at the Juniper Centre at the Thompson Chamber of Commerce annual general meeting.

Vale profits drop in third quarter – by Brian Ellsworth and Brad Haynes (Sudbury Star – October 27, 2011)

October 27, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) – Brazilian mining giant Vale’s third-quarter profit dropped 18% from a year earlier, missing analysts’ estimates as a tumble in Brazil’s currency caused losses on derivatives and boosted its foreign debt load.

Offsetting stronger revenue from iron sales, Vale lost $2.8 billion as it was forced to adjust the value of its foreign debt and derivatives contracts set up to protect it from a strengthening real — which dropped sharply in the quarter. Looking forward, the company said it expected the iron ore market to remain hot as a result of growth in emerging market economies.

That outlook comes on the heels of a drop of nearly 30% in iron ore prices this month, stern warnings from steelmakers of grim months ahead and evidence of a slowdown in China, Vale’s main market.

[Sudbury Union] 6500 wins labour ruling – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – October 11, 2011)

October 11, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. cmulligan@thesudburystar.com

The Ontario Labour Relations Board has ruled that two Steelworkers pulled from a union committee investigating the June deaths of two Stobie miners be returned to work on the investigation.

United Steelworkers Local 6500 filed a complaint to the labour board after Vale Ltd. ordered two of five union committee members back to their jobs, charging the company was interfering in its investigation. It asked the Ministry of Labour to order the reinstatement of the members.

When it refused, the union went to the labour board, which made its ruling last week. The ministry is heading an investigation into the deaths of Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, on June 8. They were crushed by a run of broken rock and water while working in the No. 7 ore pass of the mine’s 3,000-foot level about 10:30 p.m.

Vale is conducting its own investigation into the deaths, as are Steelworkers and Greater Sudbury Police.

Judges rule against Vale application – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – October 8, 2011)

October 8, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. cmulligan@thesudburystar.com

Three Toronto judges denied an application Friday by Vale Ltd. for a judicial review of an Ontario Labour Relations Board decision on how evidence is being presented at a bad-faith bargaining complaint by United Steelworkers against the company.

Vale asked divisional court of the Superior Court of Justice to scrap eight days of hearings already held into the complaint and start over again with a new panel from the labour board, says USW lawyer Brian Shell.

The complaint was filed Jan. 13, 2010, at the halfway mark of a bitter year-long strike against Vale. It began as an attempt to force Vale back to the negotiating table when contract talks were stalemated.

That complaint has turned into a fight to have an arbitrator appointed to rule on the dismissals of eight Steelworkers, whom Vale said were fired for unacceptable behaviour on picket lines and in the community during the labour dispute.

Court dismisses Inco [Port Colborne] lawsuit – by Christine Dobby (National Post – October 8, 2011)

October 8, 2011

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

The Ontario Court of Appeal has dismissed an environmental class-action lawsuit and reversed an award of $36-million to a group of Port Colborne residents who claim their property values took a hit because of emissions from a nearby Inco Ltd. refinery.

In a decision released Friday, a three-member panel of the court unanimously ruled that the plaintiffs did not prove that Inco was liable to them. Even if they had succeeded on that front, the court said, the plaintiffs failed to show any actual loss to Port Colborne’s property appreciation rates.

On top of throwing out the claims, the court ordered the plaintiffs to pay $100,000 in costs to Inco.

In one of the first class-action lawsuits to go to trial, Judge Joseph Henderson of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on July 6, 2010, ordered Inco to pay three subgroups of plaintiffs a total of $36-million in damages.

Now owned by Vale Canada Ltd., Inco operated a nickel refinery in the small town on the north shore of Lake Erie from 1918 to 1984.

Vale’s massive Newfoundland nickel refinery takes shape – by Paul Brent (Canadian Mining Journal – September, 2011)

September 26, 2011

The Canadian Mining Journal is Canada’s first mining publication providing information on Canadian mining and exploration trends, technologies, operations, and industry events.

Vale Canada Ltd.’s $2.8-billion nickel processing facility at Long Harbour in Newfoundland will be a showcase for the mining giant’s newly developed hydrometallurgy refining technology when the plant is completed in early 2013.

Long Harbour, which will process 50,000 tons per year of nickel from the Voisey’s Bay concentrate deposit in Labrador, will operate much differently than traditional nickel processing facilities. The key difference is the use of hydrometallurgy or “hydromet” technology that utilizes a combination of water and oxygen under pressure to dissolve selected metals from the incoming concentrate.

“It is a process called POL, which means Pressure Oxidative Leaching,” says Rinaldo Stefan, who is project director of the Long Harbour processing plant.

For Vale, one of the big payoffs from the POL process is a significantly reduced sulphur dioxide footprint for the Long Harbour operation. As part of the traditional nickel refining process, sulphur is mixed with oxygen to be removed, captured and then converted into sulphuric acid to be disposed of.

Vale General Manager Alex Henderson Speech at Rail-Veyor Test Site – Copper Cliff, Ontario (September 16, 2011)

September 22, 2011

Speaking Notes For Alex Henderson: General Manager of Mines and Mill Technology for Vale’s North Atlantic Region
Copper Cliff Mine 114 Orebody Demonstration Plant Funding Announcement
Rail-Veyor Test Site

Thank-you Jon. Imagine a mine with no shaft or head frame, no loading pockets, no underground crushers, no conveyor, and no diesel haulage trucks . . .

It’s a huge departure from the way we currently mine but new technology is making this sort of innovative thinking possible. We will be testing some of these new technologies and mining methods at the 114 Orebody Demonstration Plant in Copper Cliff.

Our findings at this plant have the potential to change not only how we mine in Sudbury, but across all of Vale’s operations around the world.

But to understand where we’re headed, it makes sense to set a little context and spend a few moments reflecting on the mining processes of the past . . .

Prior to 1970, mining in the Sudbury Basin was largely manual and characterized by high grades, low volumes and poor safety records.

Vale interferes: Union prez – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – September 19, 2011)

September 19, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper. cmulligan@thesudburystar.com

The president of United Steelworkers Local 6500 says Vale Ltd. is interfering in the union’s investigation into the June 8 deaths of two members at Stobie Mine.

Jason Chenier, 35, and Jordan Fram, 26, were working at the mine’s 3,000-foot level about 10:30 p.m. when they were struck and killed by a run of broken rock and water.

In the past, the union and the former company owner, Inco, conducted joint investigations into mining deaths. But Local 6500 and Vale were unable to agree from the outset about this investigation, so each is conducting its own.

Local 6500 president Rick Bertrand accused Vale of interference because it recalled to work two of five members of the union investigation team.

Rail-Veyor Technologies Global Inc. System Overview and Description – Backgrounder

September 16, 2011

Overview and Description – Backgrounder

The Rail‐Veyor™ system combines the best of conventional railroads and conveyors to create a unique and practical alternative for materials transport. Systems are scalable and flexible and can economically move materials over distances of a few hundred meters to hundreds of kilometers.

To accomplish this, the Rail‐Veyor™ system incorporates the use of light rail track with a series of interconnected two wheeled cars creating an open trough capable of continuous movement. The cars are connected to allow articulated movement for curves and dumping and trough lengths are designed to meet tonnage requirements. Sealing of the gaps between cars is achieved using flexible flaps which prevent leakage of materials and forms a chute for product discharge.

Energy efficiency is achieved through a unique drive system incorporating stationary drive stations consisting of dual motors and gear reducers driving foam‐filled tires which contact the car side plates providing the forward thrust. Speed is controlled by an inverter, which allows for both forward and reverse movement and provides sufficient power to start loaded trains from any position on the track.

NEWS RELEASE: VALE ANNOUNCES $49 MILLION INVESTMENT IN NEW DEMONSTRATION PLANT FEATURING INNOVATIVE RAIL-VEYOR TECHNOLOGY

September 16, 2011

For Immediate Release

SUDBURY, September 16, 2011 – Vale today announced a $49 million investment in its Copper Cliff Mine 114 Orebody Demonstration Plant. The demonstration plant will feature innovative Rail-Veyor technology and offer opportunities to test safer and more efficient mining techniques and new, specialized equipment.

“The 114 Orebody Demonstration Plant is part of the $3.4 billion investment Vale announced for its Sudbury operations in November of last year,” said Alex Henderson, General Manager, Mines and Mill Technology, North Atlantic Region, Vale. “This investment allows us to test new and innovative mining technologies that could dramatically improve mining processes across our operations.”

New, innovative Rail-Veyor technology will be installed at the 114 Orebody Demonstration Plant later this year – the first installation of its kind at an underground mine in North America. The technology is currently being tested at an above ground site near Turner Road in Sudbury.