DeVere Mining Technologies is a young West Australian research and development company whose aim is to create, prove and commercialise highly cost-efficient technologies that minimize impact on the environment.DeVere Mining Technologies is a young West Australian research and development company whose aim is to create, prove and commercialise highly cost-efficient technologies that minimize impact on the environment.
The Company was established as Evap-Mat Limited in September, 2003 (changing its name in mid 2004) by the late inventor-entrepreneur, Kimberley Vere Sadleir. Kimberley brought with him a unique combination of abilities in science, innovation and commerce. During his prolific creative life he was awarded a number of patents, including the world’s first patent for a commercial computer software language.
DeVere holds the rights for three major mining and resource technologies – the CARIAT Conveyor System, the Trench Leaching System and the Evap-Mat Dam Cover System – each with the ability to generate enormous savings for the mining and mineral resource sectors, while significantly reducing negative impact on the environment.
Independent reports have been filed validating the design concepts of all three technologies and preliminary studies corroborate their major cost-saving advantages.
While environmentally sound technologies normally add to the cost of mining operations and result in some inefficiencies and/or lower yields, the DeVere technologies promise both cost and environmental benefits.
In 2004 DeVere was the recipient of a Federal Government COMET grant, which has now been acquitted.
To commercialise groundbreaking technologies that dramatically improve efficiencies in the mining industry, whilst minimising impact on the environment, exercising a strong social conscience and creating extraordinary returns for shareholders.
To develop, prove and commercialise both the CARIAT Conveyor System and the Trench Leaching System in Australia, with a view to world-wide commercialisation in the mining and mineral resource sectors;
Once the above two technologies are in a strong position, to develop, prove and commercialise the Evap-Mat Dam Cover with a view to industrial and humanitarian applications.
The marketplace is particularly fertile, with Western Australia enjoying a mining boom slated to last until at least 2011. Iron ore production cannot keep up with the demand created by China, and gold prices are at an all time high and rising. In the longer term, economists expect that should there be a reduction in demand from China, it will be more than compensated for by increases in demand from the Indian and U.S. economies.
DeVere Mining Technologies is engaged in the development and commercialisation of three major, environmentally sensitive technologies aimed at dramatically cutting costs in the mining and mineral resource industries, namely:
The Trench Leaching System – a hybrid of existing heap leaching and tank leaching systems that provides yields comparable with those gained from expensive tank leaching*, yet costs little more than inexpensive, low-yield heap leaching, while providing clear environmental benefits over this method.
The Trench Leaching System is particularly aimed at small to medium mining projects deemed unviable due to prohibitive costs of tank leaching. This system has the potential to make many currently unviable mineral leases profitable, and could increase profits on marginal mining leases by more than 100%. It has a ready-made market in the processing of low yield ores, the resurrection of failed heap leaches and remediation of tailings (especially in China).
*In a third independent laboratory test conducted in December 2005, a gold leaching yield was achieved of between 91% and 93% for the gold ore sample tested. Factoring in ore sample variations, this is comparable with yields achieved by the more expensive process of tank leaching. These results were achieved at a very low energy output and using between ¼ and ½ the quantity of cyanide used in conventional tank leaching – further validating the economic and environmental viability of the Trench Leaching System.
CARIAT Conveyor – Continuous Articulated Rail in a Tube – an innovative bulk solids transportation system for the mining and resources industries that provides dramatic cost savings and environmental advantages compared to existing systems (rail, road or belt conveyor).
Presently, mineral-bearing ore is transported from mine to port via rail, road and conveyor, or a combination of all three. Each has its advantages and disadvantages:
Rail tends to be used on long haul – over more than about 200 km – but at a high capital cost.
Road transport tends to be used where the terrain is difficult and over relatively short distances using existing roads – from 5 to 200 km – at a lower capital cost, but a higher operating cost.
Conveyors are used over short distances – less than 20 km – and where environmental issues prevent the use of wheeled vehicles – at operating costs that are less than trucks and rail, but with high capital cost.
The CARIAT system can operate at a combined capital and operating cost of around 20% - 40% of conventional belt conveyors and railways, and around 10% to 25% of the cost of trucking, yielding savings of 60% to 90% over traditional transportation systems.
COST COMPARISON:
Project Costs Of The CARIAT System vs Other Bulk Solids Handling Systems
Bulk Transport System |
Cost per Tonne Kilometre |
|||
|
(AU cents) |
|||
Trucking |
4.0 |
- |
18.0 |
|
Rail or Conveyors |
2.0 |
- |
4.0 |
|
CARIAT system |
0.1 |
- |
1.5 |
|
Sea Shipping |
0.1 |
- |
0.4 |
|
This study illustrates the savings potential of the CARIAT system in a new Pilbara Iron Ore Mining project involving the transportation of 70 million tonnes per annum over a distance of 500 kilometres.
COMPARATOR |
Rail |
CARIAT |
Savings |
CAPEX |
A$1,200 M |
A$300 M |
A $900 M |
Cost to Port |
A $6.50 /t |
A $1.50 /t |
A $5.00 / t |
In each full year of production, the CARIAT could potentially produce additional profits of around $350 million.
Low Noise, Low Environmental Impact
Added to its clear economic advantages, the CARIAT is capable of travelling underground safely, eliminating noise, dust and other impacts in environmentally sensitive areas, plus reduction of impact on wildlife and flora, including areas affected by jarrah die back.
A low cost, long life floating cover for water reservoirs and dams at mining sites where water is a limited resource or where loss of water through evaporation is a costly problem with clear social, economic and environmental repercussions. Long-term applications of the technology include conservation of water in irrigation and reticulation systems, farm dams, and conservation of water in large human consumption water reservoirs.
This dam cover has the potential to reduce water loss caused by evaporation by up to 99%, with a life expectancy of 3 to 5 times that of competing long life cover systems, with only marginally higher capital costs.
The Trench Leaching System has the potential to process heap leach type deposits and produce tank leach yields at highly economic rates. The system would provide maximum environmental safety at the same time as unparalleled financial returns – especially in low yield ores and failed heap leaches.
The CARIAT has the potential to save companies like BHP and Rio Tinto between AU$500 million and AU$1 billion per year in transport costs. It would solve the curfew problems of companies like Alcoa who are prohibited from operating their conveyors near residential areas during the night. The CARIAT would also solve concerns of coal dust contamination of wood chip stockpiles.
The Evap-Mat Dam Cover has the potential to double the water storage capacity of the average mining company – or halve the cost of water in mining operations – by reducing evaporation loss from around 2 metres per annum to less than 20 mm. Application of the Evap-Mat Dam Cover to metropolitan water supplies would see savings of hundreds of millions of dollars in capital costs and water production costs.