In-depth knowledge from Pitram
WHEN Kirkland Lake Gold’s Fosterville operation needed support for its low cost production growth strategy, it rolled out MICROMINE’s Pitram fleet management and mine production solution.
This brought the total number of mine sites using Pitram to 22 in Australia, further extending Pitram’s, and MICROMINE’s, presence in the industry.
Pitram’s operations manager, Daren Hinchliffe, said that the system was selected in favour of other technologies because of the Pitram team’s in-depth knowledge and experience in mining and systems software – experience gained over more than three decades.
“The software is ideal for Fosterville as it provides an intuitive, quick and highly reliable real-time data capture and analysis, which can bolster operational safety and efficiency, and support the miner’s low-cost production and exploration strategy,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
Fosterville, which is 100pc owned by Kirkland Lake Gold, was named Australian Mining Mine of the Year in 2018, and the underground gold mining operation has increased its output rapidly since operations began in 2005.
In 2019 Q1, Kirkland Lake Gold upped the lower end of its guidance by 30,000oz, citing Fosterville’s 128,445oz quarter as the main driver.
“Pitram is a flexible and robust solution that is relied upon by mining companies across the globe,” Mr Hinchcliffe said.
“Fosterville was a natural fit as we could use Pitram’s voice capture software to extract information received via two-way radio and plot that against schedules, targets and surveys.
“The Fosterville team can now track results in real-time, analyse data, better manage start and end of shift control, pinpoint weaknesses in the production pipeline and even track lone workers to enhance safety management.
“At a practical level, it removes time-intensive manual administration tasks.”