ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program Australian Roadway

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program Australian Roadway Development Improvement Project ROADWAY DEVELOPMENT OPERATORS’ WORKSHOPS March 2009

SAFETY ASPECTS OF VENUE As advised by venue ACARP Project C 17010 2

OBJECTIVE AND FORMAT Provide a forum for roadway development operators to: Learn of emerging best practice and roadway development initiatives Learn of developments in equipment and technology Network with peers, and share their experience and learnings (and not just their successes) Identify areas for targeted research ACARP Project C 17010 3

FORMAT Series of presentations not only outlining advances in roadway development research, technology and practice, but also challenging the way that we currently think about roadway development Researchers giving us an update on roadway development related R&D Operators detailing current and emerging operational practices and technologies International OEM challenging our current roadway development practices Presentations typically comprise a 20 -30 minute presentation with a 10 -15 minute open forum for discussion and sharing of experiences and learnings Conclude with a review to capture key findings, identify opportunities to improve the workshop process, and to identify presentations for future workshops Workshop report with copies of presentations to be provided to all participants ACARP Project C 17010 4

PREREQUISITES FOR ATTENDANCE A passion for roadway development, and A willingness to participate in discussions and share experiences $150. . . ACARP Project C 17010 5

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program Australian Roadway Development Improvement Project CM 2010 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY March 2009 Jim Sandford, Xstrata Coal Bob Miller, Centennial Coal Guy Mitchell, BMA Coal

ROADWAY DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE • Significant improvements in longwall production and productivity are continuing to be made, with production doubling every 10 years or thereabouts • Improvements in roadway development are generally failing to keep abreast of longwall improvements • Higher capacity, new generation mines are being planned – 15 Mtpa • Older mines are struggling to survive and it is becoming more difficult to find solutions and successfully apply them • Unlikely that continuing increases in longwall production will be sustainable if current roadway development practices and trends remain unchanged • Longwall sustainability! ACARP Project C 17010 7

ROADWAY DEVELOPMENT TASK GROUP Previous attempts at ‘one off ‘ Company initiatives largely failed: poor problem scope, planning and organisation lack of mine involvement and commitment loss of project champions poor execution and patience lack of critical mass to gain OEM support ACARP considered it an industry wide problem requiring an industry wide approach to fund and resource the necessary improvements RDTG formed in 2005 to develop and direct a roadmap for targeted R&D to improve roadway development Member companies now include Anglo, Austar, BHPB, BMA, Centennial, Peabody, Rio Tinto, Vale, and Xstrata. ACARP Project C 17010 8

KEY ELEMENTS - CM 2010 R&D STRATEGY The RDTG developed a Roadway Development R&D strategy based on input from participants at the March 2007 round of Workshops: Key enabling technologies underpinned by organisational and technical competencies Project management of R&D and engagement of the corporate sector is essential to bring the CM 2010 R&D strategy to fruition Key enabling technologies Organisational and technical competencies ACARP Project C 17010 9

CM 2010 R&D STRATEGY The RDTG continued to refine the CM 2010 R&D strategy to embrace a new generation high capacity roadway development system: Vision An integrated, remotely supervised high capacity roadway development mining system that enables 15 Mtpa longwall mines to be established and sustained with a single mining unit The system will also enable mining to be safely undertaken under adverse or extreme mining conditions, or reserves previously considered unmineable Measures A sustained performance rate of 10 metres per operating hour (MPOH) for 20 hours per day, based on installing primary support of 6 roof and 2 rib bolts per metre advance together with roof and rib confinement measures (mesh) Improved health and safety through reduced exposure to hazards in the immediate face area ACARP Project C 17010 10

KEY ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES – CM 2010 “Self-steering” technologies and systems to enable mining equipment to maintain both azimuth, horizon and grade control within a variable seam horizon, and the total automation of the cutting and loading cycle (including mining breakaways). Automated installation of conventional resin anchored bolts and self drilling bolts, and the feeding of bolts and mesh to the installation hardware without direct operator involvement. Alternative skin reinforcement and confinement technologies and systems that eliminates the installation of roof and rib mesh and provides an enhanced roof and skin reinforcement medium. Adaption and refinement of continuous haulage technologies, and their integration into an integrated, remotely supervised high capacity mining system. Technologies and systems that enables face services to be extended within the 3 minute cut, load support cycle without direct operator involvement. ACARP Project C 17010 11

INTEGRATION OF KEY TECHNOLOGIES The roadway development system is built on a number of independent subsystems that remain largely unchanged since their inception some 40 years ago Ø With few exceptions, new technologies have been adapted to existing machine designs rather than result in any fundamental review of machine design The integration of emerging enabling technologies into an integrated, remotely supervised high capacity mining system is expected to pose a significant challenge to researchers and OEMs Ø Adoption of an industry standard communications protocol will be a prerequisite to system integration (as in Longwall automation) Ø Applied research and design simulation will be necessary to integrate the emerging technologies and subsystems, similar to that achieved with TBMs in the tunnelling sector CSIRO and UOW are developing a collaborative framework to enable their core expertise to be applied to the task, together with participating OEMs and other key researchers ACARP Project C 17010 12

PROJECT ESTIMATE - CM 2010 The level of funding required to successfully develop and demonstrate all elements of the strategy over the next 3 -5 years is expected to be of the order of $31 M, comprising some: $8. 5 M for fundamental, ACARP funded research $22. 5 M for capital purchases and operational expenditure associated with the purchase of equipment and conduct of “new technology” trials and demonstrations at mines, funded directly by mines The RDTG proposes that the fundamental research component be funded by ACARP outside routine funding processes, similar to that adopted for the Longwall Automation Project ($5 M) ACARP Project C 17010 13

ACARP FUNDING 2007 - 08 Throughout 2007 - 08 a number of roadway development related R&D projects have been funded by ACARP, including development of: The technology and systems required develop a self steering continuous miner An automated system for installing SDB and mesh, including an integrated logistics and materials handling system from the supplier to the face A polymer based alternative skin reinforcement and confinement system A simulation model to enable the limitations of current development processes to be understood A Roadway Development Handbook to capture the industry’s current “body of knowledge” of roadway development practice In addition, the RDTG is providing ongoing support for: The development of self drilling bolts and installation systems Continuation of the Roadway Development Operators’ Workshops and Benchmarking Study. ACARP Project C 17010 14

2009 AND BEYOND Given the scope of the CM 2010 project and the level of Industry support required to successfully develop and demonstrate the emerging technologies, the RDTG proposes to pursue major project status for Roadway Development within ACARP, similar to the Longwall Landmark Project recently completed. The RDTG also proposes to support mine based initiatives to develop and demonstrate other key enabling technologies, including continuous haulage systems, remotely operated shuttle cars, services management systems Strategies are also being developed to engage OEMs in the development and integration of the enabling technologies, both at a demonstration level and in full commercialisation. The RDTG is also expected to review the industry’s approach to and the development of the organisational and technical competencies required to underpin the successful implementation of the enabling technologies now under development. ACARP Project C 17010 15

IN CONCLUSION A number of presentations in today’s Workshop will outline progress in development of the key enabling technologies referred to earlier. Clearly, most projects have many challenges to address in order to bring them to a successful conclusion, however, after today I hope you will agree that we are beginning to kick butt in roadway development R&D! Please enjoy the Workshop. We trust you get a good insight into current developments with roadway development research, technology and practice. ACARP Project C 17010 16

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program CONTINUOUS MINER AUTOMATION – REMOTE SENSING AND SELF STEERING David Reid, CSIRO Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT)

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program CONTINUOUS MINER AUTOMATION – AUTOMATED BOLTING AND MESHING Stephen Van Duin, University of Wollongong

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program MORNING TEA

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program TUNNEL BORING MACHINES AND THEIR APPLICATION IN ROADWAY DEVELOPMENT Charles Howarth and Christian Frenzel, Herrenknecht

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program TOUGH SKIN – A SPRAY ON POLYMERIC REPLACEMENT FOR ROOF AND RIB MESH Chris Lukey, University of Wollongong

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program undergroundcoal. com. au - THE AUSTRALIAN UNDERGROUND COAL MINING WEB-SITE Ernest Baafi, University of Wollongong

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program SELF DRILLING BOLT UPDATE Gary Gibson, ACARP

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program ADVANCES IN STONEDUSTING Matt Ryan, Mining Attachments (Qld)

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program LUNCH

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program INTRODUCTION OF SCROLLING HEADS AND PLOUGH SHOVELS ON CONTINUOUS MINERS FOR IMPROVED STRATA CONTROL Kyle Eager, Alan Ninness and Matt Reh, Dendrobium Mine

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program THE AQUILA CONTINUOUS HAULAGE EXPERIENCE AND APPLICATION OF CHS IN GATEROAD DEVELOPMENT Larry Cook, Bounty

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program INTRODUCTION OF CONTINUOUS MINER MONITORING AT CLARENCE Bernard Vanderventer and Brian Nicholls, Clarence Colliery

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program AFTERNOON TEA

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program UNDERSTANDING THE ROADWAY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS - FURTHER LEARNINGS FROM THE FUNDAMENTAL ANALYSIS OF ROADWAY DEVELOPMENT Richard Porteous, Xstrata NSW

ACARP Australian Coal Association Research Program UNDERSTANDING THE ROADWAY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS ROADSIM - GATEROAD DEVELOPMENT SIMULATION Geoff Gray, Simulation Modelling Services Ernest Baafi, University of Wollongong

WORKSHOP CRITIQUE What improvements could we make to the structure and format of the Workshop: Suitability of location, venue and facilities? Timing (eg; day of week, and actual times) What issues should be the subject of future workshops? Any volunteer presenters? Anything else? ACARP Project C 17010 32

END OF WORKSHOP Thank you! Please join us for some for refreshments and further networking! ACARP Project C 17010 33