For those road transport operators in the relatively mild average climate of southern Africa who think they have it tough, spare a thought for South Africa’s mining giant De Beers’ Canadian operations and what they go through to supply their diamond mines in the far north of the land of the maple leaf. The cold fact is that the global company’s most northern operations are embraced by lakes and ponds that cannot be bridged to establish permanent paved roads all the way from key supply centres. Government after government reviews the possibility of building all-weather roads, but the enormous cost and the challenge of finding a suitable route to service both the sparse populations and remote mines have yet to be overcome in these areas. Nature provided this challenge, so it also provided a six- to eightweek solution when temperatures from -20C to -40C are routine and wind chill factors drop it further to unimaginable depths for us southern Africans in relative sub-tropical splendour. This cold allows crews to build additional ice atop the watery obstacles that can be up to 60 inches thick in places as roads across the lakes and ponds are identified where the ice can carry some of the extraordinary loads to be moved. The iced water stages are up to 90kms long. In some cases the roads pass over frozen swamp lands made up of peat, or what is known locally as ‘muskeg’. The roads can also cross many rivers and small water bodies. Explains head of external and corporate affairs for De Beers Canada, Tom Ormsby: “Our De Beers Victor Mine in northern Ontario is 300 kilometres from the nearest year-round road or railway and 515kms from the nearest city. The Gahcho Kué mine is just below the Arctic Circle and 280kms from the City of Yellowknife, which is our major hub. The ice roads to both mines are critical to haul the bulk of our annual resupply needs each February and March when the ice road truckers start hauling.” Perishable foods and smaller spares and equipment can be flown in all year round by charter, but required heavy haulage elements must be anticipated for the 10 months of “isolation”. This is the responsibility of the mines’ procurement divisions on site. They identify what is required and make certain that it is at the staging posts for delivery when the roads are opened each February. Road building and maintenance crews, using hightech measuring equipment, establish the thickness of the ice and deem routes safe to commence the haulage. This triggers relentless round trips to deliver to the mines and pick up any items to be taken back to the staging points. Ormsby says more than 90% of required non-perishable goods and 100% of fuel needs are annually delivered on ice roads in the two months. These include parts, supplies, heavy equipment, fuel and lubes. Large items such as haul trucks and the camp office and accommodation modules are usually sent up in multiple loads and assembled on site by the mines. Weights can exceed 55 000kgs per load at the peak of the
programme. Fuel tanks, truck boxes for 100-tonne and 200- tonne mine haulers and large components for the process plants such as scrubbers and support beams are some of the heavier and larger items that must be moved when the ice is at its thickest. Turnaround in both loading at staging points and off loading at mines is vital to keep all vehicles constantly moving. For example a convoy of five fuel tankers, each containing 35-40 000 litres of fuel amounting to a total of 180- 200 000 litres, can be emptied in just 90 minutes. This includes adopting protection methods to eliminate any environmentally damaging spills. In extreme climates hoses and other parts of the vehicles can freeze up during the journey to the mine, so the mines have worked with suppliers to ensure the hoses and support equipment are designed for the harsh conditions. An extensive backhaul strategy each season removes items no longer required at the mines, items for recycling or items that are in good shape which are donated to local communities along the way such as construction trailers no longer in use at the mines. The millions of dollars that it costs to establish the roads, maintain them for the delivery window and then close them is footed by the mines involved. This includes providing mine-site accommodation for drivers to enable them to rest properly due to the exhausting nature of these potentially dangerous routes with blizzard conditions that limit visibility. On some roads a 50-person road maintenance crew is stationed halfway along long stretches where truckers can get a hot meal and shower 24 hours a day and sleep in the yard of the camp in their sleepers in the trucks if required.
Road building and maintenance crews establish the thickness of the ice and deem routes safe to commence the haulage.
Fuel trucks lined up at De Beer’s Gahcho Kue mine in Canada.
