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INNOVATION

MLG’s drive to innovation

by Dominic Piper industry, MLG Oz is more focused on how innovation and technology
can improve safety and environmental outcomes.

commitment to innovation is enabling MLG Oz Pty Ltd to deliver “We continue to look at automation and how we can integrate it into
A safety, productivity and environmental improvements to gold various parts of the business and it has its place to play but the big
mines across Australia. thing is regulatory compliance. There has been some significant
changes in standards around driver fatigue and load restraint,
Kalgoorlie-based MLG Oz has been providing logistics expertise to
etc,” Leahy said. “We have a whole suite of technologies to better
miners across Australia for close to two decades but as its long-term
utilise time and keep people safer and more productive. Fatigue
clients grow and regulatory requirements become more complex,
monitoring, transitioning to paperless pre-starts and maintenance
the company is finding its service offering is changing.
team mapping on devices all provide safety and performances
Integration is key to MLG’s recent success with the company
benefits for our operations and in turn our clients.”
developing a multifaceted approach which has given it the skills and
Given the low value bulk nature of the material movement associated
expertise to advise clients on supply chain management across the
with mineral projects, logistics considerations are rarely at the
project spectrum.
forefront of gold project economic decisions but, Leahy said, they still
“Because of our life-of-asset approach, clients will increasingly engage
have the potential to dramatically effect input costs.
us from early on in a project,” MLG Oz managing director Murray Leahy
“Could poor logistics planning sink an entire gold project? Probably
told GMJ. “It is not just about providing aggregate in the construction
not but it will have a greater impact than many companies realise,”
phase and trucking or crushing services in the operations stage, we
he said. “The most common mistake we see is companies
offer advice and planning from as early as the feasibility study stage.”
underestimating the permitting time associated with gaining
Leahy said the increased regulatory requirements over the last
operating licences for road trains along with underestimating the
decade had placed an additional permitting burden which companies
maintenance costs of the road networks required to operate these
weren’t always equipped to manage.
units. The quality of roads is also a factor in remote locations where
“The industry has changed immensely over the last 10 years,” he road maintenance could add $20-30/oz to production if not planned
said. “Compliance in areas such as road train access on public road correctly.”
networks, chain of responsibility management, engine emission
Good logistics planning becomes crucial when gold companies
and other environmental standards are driving a step of change in
are hauling ore from satellite deposits to a central processing plant.
navigating a path to market for a large percentage of our customer.
Leahy said companies like Ramelius Resources Ltd (see cover
We have an internal team with a strong relationship with the
story on page 18), had been successful because they had dedicated
regulators along with an extensive level of experience dealing with
planning around haulage.
these issues to ensure we can navigate a path through permitting.”
“The advantage of engaging throughout the project life and across
New state and national standards around greater efficiency in
the supply chain is that logistics become naturally more efficient,” he
bulk transport has driven MLG Oz towards engaging with major
said. “An operation can actually grow as your supply chain becomes
automotive groups to find innovative solutions.
more efficient. You can shift tonnes more cost effectively, giving
“We are working on road train designs with our OEMs to develop you the potential to lower cut-off grades and increase the volume of
innovative configurations that deliver higher payload and energy economic tonnes to be hauled.”
use efficiencies to drive the best possible outcome to our customers
The strong price environment means gold miners are eager to take
projects,” Leahy said.
advantage of every ounce available to them and Leahy is revelling in
The results will not only allow clients to comply with new standards the success and growth of long-term clients.
but also deliver improved economic outcomes according to Leahy.
“I am really proud of the customers we are associated with and the
“Energy efficiency has become an important part of the modelling customers we work for and as they grow, we hope to extend our
process,” he said. “The capital cost, human cost, environmental cost; relationships further and therefore providing growth opportunities for
they are all factored in to be part of the investment decision about MLG,” he said. “We have grown up with these guys and have been
how we service customers.” fortunate enough to be able to support them and in turn they have
While automation is the innovation buzzword throughout the mining supported us.”
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