COVID has taken a toll on mining. Demand and prices for many commodities remain weak and volatile. Many mines are idle. Staff have taken pay cuts or unpaid leave. Companies face material shortages from suppliers. Investors are rattled.
Tight working conditions, particularly at underground mines, present a health risk. Large numbers of workers are transported to mines together and work closely before, during and after shift. Many are older, or have pre-existing conditions, making them vulnerable.
The future of mining needs a re-think. The new normal will have different processes, fewer/more remote workers, more automation, more data use, and more remote monitoring. The key is to strike the right balance between labor use and technology intensity.
Mines are complex with multiple parts of the value chain that need to be in sync to optimize results. MOSIMTEC has worked on numerous mining projects over many years in multiple geographies on all parts of that value chain, providing a holistic view of overall mine performance. Dynamic mining simulation is a great tool to optimize multiple constraints, bottlenecks, variables and variability at a typical mine. Many projects can be done remotely and cost effectively. MOSIMTEC is here to help.
#covid19 #mining #simulation #supplychain