Saudi Arabian mining company Maaden is already seeing the benefits of technology innovation at its flagship Mansourah-Massarah gold mine, where the company is developing the region’s first digital mine, assisted by global measurement technologies company Hexagon.

Maaden aims to use this project as the pioneer for its digitally-enhanced mining approach, with the aim to adopt this across the rest of its portfolio in the future. 

Hexagon’s life-of-mine technology solutions are being successfully deployed at Mansourah-Massarah, combining sensor, software and autonomous technologies to enhance efficiency, productivity, quality and safety across the mine’s operations.

Maaden’s collaboration with Hexagon entails integrating high-quality digital capabilities into the company’s Mansourah-Massarah mine, harnessing intelligent data and digital reality solutions to drive operational performance, efficiency and safety.

This partnership is aimed at setting new benchmarks for intelligent mining, ensuring long-term growth while optimising efficiency.

Speaking to Mining Weekly at the Future Mineral Forum (FMF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 15, Hexagon mining president Dave Goddard highlighted that the company “has a very important partnership and customer in Maaden”.

“Our partnership with Maaden is super exciting, because we’re providing an end-to-end portfolio of products that is being integrated into their daily operations in order to create the first modern mine in Saudi Arabia, and that’s exciting to be a part of,” he enthused.

He explained that Hexagon was working with Maaden to assist it in achieving its goals in terms of operational discipline and digital mining.

“Maaden is at the forefront of inventing a truly modern mine that leapfrogs several of the workflows and ways of work that an older mining operation could have. Applying the digital tools at the very beginning allows them to leapfrog the productivity that some of the other mining companies have,” Goddard outlined.

He added that as this leapfrogging and different way of working unfolded, Hexagon would consider feedback from Maaden regarding required improvements and opportunities for other tools and software, and look to inculcate this into its future work.

RESOURCE RICH

Maaden on January 12 reported resource additions of 7.8-million ounces across four key areas spanning operating mines, early-stage prospects and new discoveries, all within Saudi Arabia.

The company is seeking to build a strong gold growth pipeline in Saudi Arabia.

“The addition of more than seven-million ounces through drilling across the four areas demonstrates the scale and ongoing potential of Maaden’s gold portfolio, and it continues to deliver as we advance exploration and mine development.

“Our assets are growing, and that growth directly supports future cash generation. From operating mines to new discoveries, the depth of our pipeline shows we are still in the early stages of unlocking the Arabian Shield’s gold potential,” Maaden CEO Bob Wilt highlighted in a statement.

Mansourah-Massarah delivered a three-million-ounce net increase year-on-year. The latest mineral resource at the project now stands at 116-million tonnes, grading 2.8 g/t for 10.4-million ounces of gold.

The deposit and resource additions demonstrate the scale and grade needed to support a long-life operation with further openpit and underground potential, Maaden points out in the statement.

Drilling to date confirms that mineralisation remains open at depth at both Mansourah and Massarah.

Drilling will continue throughout this year and Maaden expects further growth as the system becomes better understood.

LOCALISATION DRIVE

Maaden is also bolstering efforts to increase local employment at the site, with plans to bring more youth into the industry.

Speaking to Mining Weekly in an interview at the FMF, Saudi Arabia Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources Mining Development Deputy Minister Abdulrahman Al-Belushi offered his perspective on this matter.

“There is excitement in our young demographic to come and work for the natural resources industry. We [Saudi Arabia] are built on oil and gas, so people really admire the natural resources sector, and they want to work with it. They see how much it enhances their quality of life, and they see what they can reach with an education in natural resources,” he highlighted.

Al-Belushi pointed out that the majority of the country’s demographic was below 30 years old, and this presented an opportunity to endeavour to integrate data science, AI and innovation into the curricula of mining engineering, geology and geophysics.

Efforts in this vein include the opening of a new mining college with mining geosciences and mining engineering at the King Fahad University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in the eastern part of Saudi Arabia, he informed.

“King Abdulaziz University is also doing a great job in developing, transforming and upgrading their curriculum. We are continuously looking forward to finding more jobs [for the youth], but also, enhancing their quality of life,” Al-Belushi averred.

Meanwhile, Goddard indicated that Hexagon would, this month, sign a memorandum of understanding with King Abdulaziz University to provide training, support and internships for students that were pursuing careers in the mining industry.

He also mentioned that Hexagon was promoting the workforce of women, both in Saudi Arabia and Africa.

For the former, this would involve providing women with tools, training and opportunities necessary for them to enter into the workforce, in partnership with King Abdulaziz University.

Across Saudi Arabia, Hexagon is also forging partnerships with King Saud University and KFUPM. These engagements include providing Hexagon software licences, faculty and student training programmes and internship opportunities for top-performing students at the company’s new Riyadh office.

Hexagon also has offices in Johannesburg, South Africa; Accra, Ghana; and Casablanca, in Morocco.

Goddard indicated that Africa was an “extremely important” location for the company for future growth.

”If you’re looking for mine optimisation . . . come to Hexagon, because we’re here, we’re local and we’re here to support our customers.”