New Technology Focus at Underground Operators 2023

Alex Campbell is Principal Mining Engineer for Underground Operations at Rio Tinto. He is on the Underground Operators conference organising committee and co-chair of the event. He discusses what people can expect from this year's Underground Operators Conference in Brisbane from 27 - 29 March.

How would you describe the Underground Operators event for someone who has yet to attend?

The Underground Operators Conference is the flagship underground mining industry calendar event. It's the largest underground mining conference in Australia. The conference and its delegates represent a cross-section of the entire underground mining industry. Attendees will include mine operators, mine management, engineering teams, suppliers, consultants, and equipment providers.

What is the focus of this year's event?

The conference series has always focused on practical and operational experience at underground mining operations and sharing that knowledge across the industry. Case studies, application of new technology, innovation and lessons learned have always been a fundamental part of the technical content of the conference series.

However, one thing that is a little different about this conference is an increasing trend toward digitisation, electrification and automation in our underground mining. We're seeing many papers and technical content coming through on those themes. We are also seeing an increasing number of exhibitors at the conference who are becoming more focused on technological advances.

Are there any other differences?

There are a few other things that will be different. This conference will include a panel session on the second day of the conference discussing battery-electric vehicles and the electrification of underground mines. The conference has historically increased in size over time, and we expect 2023 to be the largest event to date. We expect it to be even larger this year than the previous Perth event in 2021.

Can you describe the sorts of people you expect to attend?

You can expect to meet general managers, mine managers, mine planning engineers, geotechnical engineers, geologists, equipment supply specialists, blasting experts and various consultants. Expect to meet a wide range of people from various disciplines involved with underground mining.

What do you think are the significant benefits that the miners get from attending?

The main benefit to some people is sharing knowledge and technical experience. They learn about case studies and from the "do differently" and "did wells" at other mines. Networking is essential to this event, including meeting new people and catching up with old friends and previous colleagues. There's exceptional networking potential and the opportunity to meet people from the whole cross-section of underground mining. Many people enjoy the exhibition hall and go specifically for that. I know some people go to the exhibition hall specifically rather than the technical sessions and vice versa. People also go to see the latest and greatest in underground mining.

Have any particular speakers or presentations captured your interest this year?

The Underground Mining Operators Committee ensures that the papers are not only of very high quality but also have a strong operational focus. We tend to select papers based on case studies that can be applied or learned from other mines. There will be 38 papers presented during the conference. I am excited about seeing some of the blasting presentations because that's a particular interest of mine.

The other thing to highlight is we've got a line-up of three excellent keynote speakers. We've got Cory Pitzer, CEO Safemap International, who will present on frontline management systems. Jo-Anne Dudley, Chief Operating Officer at Turquoise Hill Resources, will discuss her career in Rio Tinto and Turquoise Resources. We also have Joe Luxford, Principal, Luxford Mine Management Services, presenting a career story from his life in the mining industry.

What does it cost to attend?

The packages vary. A full delegate for the three days is around $1,500, but you can get a day registrations, which are a bit cheaper if you can only attend for one day.

How many people do you think will attend?

Based on previous numbers, I'd expect to see somewhere in the order of 1,000 to 1,200 attending in Brisbane. However, I wouldn't be surprised if we get quite a few more, given some of the restrictions we've had previously with COVID, which impacted the Perth event in 2021.

Can you tell me about the social events?

There are networking functions or social events on each day of the conference. The conference runs from Monday to Wednesday. On Sunday evening prior, there's a pre-event networking function, which is also an opportunity to register early to beat the rush on Monday. Other social functions include the main dinner, which happens on Tuesday night. There's also an afternoon social function after the first day, Monday. There are some pre-networking drinks, also pre-function drinks, on Tuesday afternoon, which is between the electric vehicle panel discussion session, and then leading into the formal dinner. Throughout the day, there are various breaks and lunches where people mingle and network with the other delegates.

Where is the conference location? Is it easy for people to access?

The conference is at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre at South Bank, right in the middle of the city. There is excellent access, transport, and very good hotels and restaurants nearby.

What do you think this event offers over other industry events in this year's industry calendar?

I guess it's hard to compare Underground Operators to other events in the mining calendar because it stands head and shoulders above all the others. This event is a conference specifically for underground operators. It's not an event that's focused on suppliers. It's not an event that's focused on highly technical engineering. It's not an event focused on banking, mergers, acquisitions and those types of things. The conference is for people well-ingrained in the underground mining industry, and as the conference name suggests – operations focussed. These are the boots-on-the-ground kind of people, mine managers, engineers, equipment suppliers, and the people you would meet working on the mine sites. I think this is why the conference has been so successful. It helps people practically by giving them information that can improve their operations.

Register: Underground Operators 2023
Visit: PumpEng at Underground Operators - Stand 97